An inside look at the Waynflete experience
These resilient and determined young people accomplished something very special together this semester. Be sure to check out the combined ensembles—all 30 players!—playing “Draganovo”, a difficult Bulgarin folk song.
June 12 was a special day for the Class of 2020. In the midst of a global pandemic with all the associated and necessary restrictions, we held a beautiful, inspiring, thought-provoking live graduation for our seniors. They were able to sit side-by-side for the first time in three months. It was a day that our seniors and their families will never ever forget. The speeches were powerful, relevant, and moving statements for the current moment. Over a three-hour period, the community was stitched back together after being remote for so long.
The parade that followed was the perfect culmination to the day. Our faculty, trustees, and friends who were not able to attend commencement due to social distancing restrictions, lined the streets around Waynflete’s campus. A parade of seniors in their cars were greeted with cheers and expressions of love.
View/download Commencement photos
Note that photos can be downloaded from SmugMug in their original high-resolution format at no cost. You can also share images directly to social media from SmugMug or purchase photo keepsakes, including prints, wall art, magnets, mugs, etc.
Commencement ceremony (entire event—1h 40m)
View video
Post-ceremony parade
View video 1 • View video 2
Note that the Commencement video can be downloaded from Vimeo if you would like to have your own digital copy. Simply click the “download” button below the video.
Part I
Invocation (Lydia Maier ’90, Assistant Head)
Video
Welcome and introduction (Geoffrey Wagg, Head of School)
Video
Address (Blake Keogh, 6–12 Science)
Video
Musical presentation (Ruby Adams ’20 and Denise Calkins)
Video
Statement from the graduating class (Perla Ingabire ’20)
Video
Part II
Introduction (Cathie Connors, Dean of Upper School Students)
Video
Address (Carol Titterton, 6–12 Science Chair)
Video
Poetry presentation (Anna Wildes ’20, Waynflete Poet Laureate)
Video
Musical presentation (Morgan Peppe ’20 and Eric Peppe)
Video
Statement from the graduating class (Ayub Nur ’20)
Video
Closing (Lowell Libby, Upper School Director)
Video
If you would like a text copy of any of the presentations, email communications@waynflete.org.
Avis Akers ’20 appointed to United States Coast Guard Academy
Video
View messages of hope and congratulations for seniors from members of the Waynflete community.
Waynflete’s Class of 2020 is a group of accomplished young adults with an impressive list of colleges and universities that they will be attending!
Below is the list of where our 61 graduates will/may matriculate this fall. Obviously some students may choose to adjust their plans in response to COVID-19 and as they learn what the colleges decide for next year.
Bard College
Barnard College (2)
Bates College (2)
Bowdoin College (2)
Brandeis University
Brown University (2)
Carleton College
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Clark University (2)
Colby College (2)
Eckerd College
Franklin and Marshall College
Macalester College
University of Maine, Orono (2)
University of Massachusetts–Amherst
Middlebury College
University of New Hampshire–Main Campus
University of New Orleans
Occidental College
Pomona College
Princeton University
Reed College
Rhode Island School of Design
Skidmore College (3)
Smith College (2)
Southern Maine Community College (2)
University of Southern Maine (2)
The University of Tampa
The New School
Tufts University (2)
Tulane University
Union College
United States Coast Guard Academy
University of St. Andrews
University of Vermont (4)
Wellesley College
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Wesleyan University (2)
Wheaton College
The Class of 2020 is chock full of talent! Twenty-four of our graduating seniors found a kind of second home in the Franklin Theater. They are actors, dancers, choreographers, composers, costume crew members, instrumental musicians, singers, stage managers, and stage crew members. Each one of these students has made a significant impact on the Performing Arts programs at Waynflete. We feel a great loss as we missed our opportunity to see these seniors in action from rehearsal to the stage and backstage during March, April, and May. Along with their families and friends, we would have loved more opportunities to acknowledge these artists with thunderous applause at numerous culminating performances from March to May.
We hope you will take a moment to visit each Senior Spotlight to help us say “bravo and brava!” to our senior performing artists. Class of 2020, we congratulate you, we celebrate you and your accomplishments, and we thank you for giving so generously to Waynflete Performing Arts.
Eva Abbott – Chorus, Costume Crew, Danceflete Collective, Drama
Ruby Adams – Chorus, Danceflete Collective, Drama
Avis Akers – Jazz Band
Ethan Armstrong – Chamber Ensemble, Drama, Jazz Band, Jazz Combo
Sophi Aronson – Chorus, Jazz Combo
Alethia Batchelder – Drama
Henry Bukowski-Thall – Drama, Jazz Band
Niall Calvert – Jazz Combo
Kacy Corbett – Chorus, Danceflete Collective, Drama, Stage Crew
Ellis Dougherty – Jazz Band
Julia Fiori – Danceflete Collective, Drama
Xander Forsyth – Jazz Combo
Valerie Geldenhuys – Chamber Ensemble
Eliza Goodwin – Stage Crew and Poster Design
Ella Hannaford – Chorus, Danceflete Collective, Drama
Andrew Johannen – Danceflete Collective, Stage Crew
Tafari Makinen-Hall – Jazz Combo
Lilu McNiff – Danceflete Collective, Stage Crew
Waverly Moller – Drama
Morgan Peppe – Chamber Ensemble
Leo Rosenblum – Chorus, Drama
Tim Suszczynski – Chamber Ensemble, Stage Crew
Maya Turndorf – Drama
Maren Wold – Chorus, Danceflete Collective, Drama, Stage Crew
Click here to enjoy the spring 2020 issue of LitMag!