Flint Hill's Class of 2011 Yields 124 Graduates

graduated 124 students in the class of 2011 during commencement exercises Friday.

For the commencement address, Flint Hill welcomed back alumnus Eliot Brenner ('67), who marveled at how the school has changed in the 44 years since he attended what was then called Flint Hill Prep. This year marked the 20th anniversary of the first graduating class of the newly named and reorganized Flint Hill School.

"This was not the Flint Hill I attended. Flint Hill was founded at a time of tumultuous change in this country, and Flint Hill has changed," said Brenner, who has had a career as a journalist and speechwriter, and now works as a spokesman for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. "The 90-plus flags in the atrium tell us that, and I cannot tell you how jealous I am."

His speech focused on how the world is guaranteed to be different for graduates when they hit the workforce. Brenner told the students that though change is coming, Flint Hill has prepared them to deal with those changes and the resulting challenges.

His speech also focused on how it's OK if they don't know exactly what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Brenner himself changed majors twice before he knew what he wanted to do, and his career path has taken him to a job he never would've seen himself doing.

"Don't be hemmed in by what you think you can and cannot do, or what others say you can and cannot do," he said. "Seize the opportunities that life throws at you. You may have no idea where they're going to take you, but they can and will be life-changing."

Before Brenner had his say, Flint Hill's headmaster, John Thomas, took time to brag about the many accomplishments in academics, athletics and arts of the class of 2011, which has all but one of its students committed to a college or university.

"But character, we know, is at the foundation of everything we do," Thomas said. "This class has led with ethical leadership and a sense of community service."

He characterized the students as a kind and selfless class, noting their legacy gift as a bright example: Taken with the crisis in Japan earlier this year, the students donated a cherry blossom tree to the school and gave money to the Red Cross.

The salutatorian, Jennifer Toth, and valedictorian, Andrew Azzam, also spoke at commencement, giving their interpretation of what it has meant to be a Flint Hill student.

Toth reminisced about the surprises high school brought to her and her classmates, using the unnamed main character's surprise at enjoying the food in Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham" as a metaphor.

"For me, and I'm sure for many of my fellow graduates, high school has been full of many surprises like this. The classes we expected to hate became our favorites. The people with whom we thought we had absolutely nothing in common, became our study groups and our best friends," Toth said. "... The surprises won't end now, though, they're just getting started. We think we know what to expect as we move forward, while in reality we probably have no idea. At future class reunions we'll continue to surprise each other with who we become, where we've been, and, most importantly, what we've achieved."

Azzam focused on how most of them will be undertaking the biggest transition of their lives so far. He highlighted lessons learned throughout high school — how to make friends, enjoy the little things, take risks and keep hope.

"Time flies so fast that we can barely grasp at a fleeting moment of our present existence. Let's take a moment now, though, to slow down and enjoy our remaining months at home, our family and our beloved friends," Azzam said. "... Who knows what other transitions we'll face in our future. Fortunately, whatever happens, we'll be able to rely on memories, mistakes, lessons and, most of all, great friends we made here in high school."

After the speeches, awarding of the diplomas and many tears from parents, the class of 2011 took their recessional outside where they were encircled by faculty as they tossed their hats into air.

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Class of 2011 students will be attending the following colleges and universities in the fall:

• Barnard College
• Boston College
• Boston University
• Bucknell University (2)
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Catholic University of Leuven
• Christopher Newport University (4)
• Colby College
• College of William & Mary (3)
• Connecticut College
• Cornell University
• Dickinson College
• Duke University (2)
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Emerson College
• Fairfield University
• Georgetown University
• Georgia Institute of Technology (2)
• Gettysburg College
• Harvard University
• High Point University (5)
• Hobart and William Smith Colleges
• Hofstra University
• Indiana University (2)
• Indiana University of Pennsylvania
• James Madison University (4)
• Johns Hopkins University (2)
• Kenyon College
• Lafayette College
• Longwood University
• Marshall University
• Marymount University
• Michigan State University
• Northeastern University
• Old Dominion University
• Pennsylvania State University (2)
• Princeton University
• Rollins College
• Rutgers University
• Shenandoah University
• Smith College
• Southern Methodist University (2)
• Saint Francis University
• Saint Joseph's University
• St. Lawrence University
• Syracuse University (4)
• Temple University (2)
• Tufts University
• Union College
• United States Naval Academy
• University of Chicago (2)
• University of Colorado (4)
• University of Delaware
• University of Illinois (2)
• University of Miami (3)
• University of Michigan (2)
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Pennsylvania (3)
• University of Richmond
• University of South Carolina (3)
• University of Texas
• University of the Arts
• University of Virginia (6)
• University of Wisconsin
• Vanderbilt University
• Villanova University (2)
• Virginia Commonwealth University (3)
• Virginia State University
• Virginia Tech (6)
• Wake Forest University
• Washington and Lee University
• Washington College
• Washington University in St. Louis
• York College of Pennsylvania