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Dr. Jennifer Weyburn Remarks

Mr. Kwon, Trustees, Ms. Nunes, Ms. Dzegar, Faculty, Staff, Families, Friends, and most importantly Students,

Welcome to Packer’s 174th Commencement Exercises.

It is so wonderful to be with you today for this very special occasion. We are all reorienting ourselves to the feeling of in-person events — remembering that it really is better in person. Having this graduation in person — and also being able to have some family members here too — feels particularly sweet. I am so glad we could be here together at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. I wonder if some of you — graduates, parents — visited this museum when our graduates were much younger.

I also want to extend a warm welcome to those of you joining our celebration today via livestream. It’s fitting that after a year of multiple modes of learning that Packer is holding its first hybrid graduation. 

Graduates — what an unusual senior year each of you has had:

  • You spit into vials for our Covid testing program 15 times each.
  • You washed your hands in the Packer Garden at the beginning of the day 95 times.
  • And if you washed your hands for 20 seconds every time, that’s more than half an hour of hand washing!
  • You filled out the Magnus app 160 times.
  • Together, you submitted 652 applications to 155 colleges, most of which you never had the chance to visit.
  • And each of you participated in at least 900 zoom classes.

Truly an unusual, unforgettable year.

And through all of this, your resolve and your achievements, have amazed and delighted us. Your ideas, your art, your expertise — shown through Zoom screens and from behind masks — scholarly presentations, personal speeches, performances — have wowed us. Your resilience has been a model to all of us. Truly, nothing can stop you.

For 175 years, students at Packer have grappled with the urgent issues of their times. In the 1800s, Packer students debated the role of women in society. During the Civil War, Packer students reckoned with loss, dislocation, and abolition. During the World Wars, Packer students grappled with how to care for German and Japanese members of the community. In the second half of the 20th Century, Packer students questioned communism, debated Vietnam, and fought for civil rights.

You are among a new historic group of Packer students. You have braved a global pandemic that shifted almost every aspect of your final chapter at school — you supported each other — through sickness, through loss, and you carried on with resilience and determination. At the same time, you confronted the realities of systemic racial injustice. You brought your advocacy, your perspectives, your leadership to our school — you were generous in sharing your experiences — the good and the bad — helping us understand many aspects of all that we are together at Packer, and what we can become — as we seek to make this school even better for students in years to come. You are a model to younger students as well as adults at Packer. You have made our school a better place.

Your place in Packer’s history has shown that you’re well prepared for your next adventures. I know that you will thrive in and contribute meaningfully to your next communities. And I know that — as Pelicans — you will continue to think deeply, speak confidently and act with Purpose and Heart. Congratulations on your impressive achievements. This is only goodbye for now. You will always have a home here at Packer. 

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