FIRST IN THEIR CLASS
Greenwich Country Day School seniors celebrate new school’s historic graduation
GREENWICH — From adjusting to a brand new school to navigating their way through distance learning due to the COVID-19 crisis, it wasn’t a typical year for the senior class at Greenwich Country Day School’s new Upper School.
As Class President Dylan McCormick reminded his classmates during a graduation ceremony Friday, the Class of 2020 was unique.
“We may not have had a typical year, but we’re not typical people: We’re Tigers through and through,” McCormick said, referencing the school mascot. “That’s what makes our class special. We won’t be defined by what we lost. We will be defined by what we gained and what we gave.”
The school community will long remember the Class of 2020. Not only did the 12 seniors deal with the coronavirus-caused closures and cancellations, they also successfully adjusted to a new school, earning the distinction as the first Upper School graduating class.
“What a thrill it is to have this perfect celebration for the first
Greenwich Country Day School Upper School students to graduate,” Head of Upper School Christopher Winters said. “You embraced the new school and left a mark at GCDS for years to come.”
Friday’s graduation ceremony was held on the school’s synthetic turf football field on the Stanwich campus. Families of the graduates were spaced out along the football field for social distancing.
The 2019-20 scholastic year marked the first for the Upper School, which was created through last year’s merger of the Stanwich School and Greenwich Country Day School, two private day schools. All 12 of Friday’s GCDS graduates had attended Stanwich.
“They were a special group,” Winters said. “From the start, they really took it as a mission to be leaders in the school. They were leaders in so many ways — athletes, musicians, theater and community service.”
Faculty member Steve Feder opened the commencement ceremony, encouraging the graduates to be versatile.
“Wherever you will be, the world is changing by the minute,” he said. “Maintaining your flexibility and resilience will go a long way to ensuring a successful future. Enjoying the ride, living in the moment and appreciating the small things are so important to happiness in the COVID world.”
The school’s Sulger Fellowship Awards, which honor students who have demonstrated generosity to others, were presented to Tyler Brown and Alexandra Short.
Winters said Brown is always willing to lend a helping hand. “He is the type of person who puts his friends and community first,” Winters said.
Brown will continue his academic career at Villanova University.
“I am really excited to explore the world,” he said. “Attending Greenwich Country Day this year was an incredible experience. Getting so close to 12 people, such a small group was great. Even though we were outnumbered by all the other classes, we had a lot of school spirit.”
Short was cited for her school spirit. “Alex thrives as a leader, as she voices her opinions freely, while also leaving space for genuine collaboration,” Winters said. “Her peers appreciate her energetic personality.”
Short is heading to Wesleyan University.
“The great thing about Greenwich Country Day is how welcoming it is,” she said. “We all felt so at home here and we were all able to excel through clubs, athletics, the arts and student council. A lot of the core values from Stanwich are the same at GCDS. It’s about being a compassionate and forgiving person, which is true here.”
Headmaster Adam Rohdie presented McCormick with the Headmaster’s Award.
“Dylan is a leader in every sense of the word,” Rohdie said. “He has a voice that not only resonates among his peers, but holds great weight with the faculty and the administration. He cares about the success of his classmates, perhaps even more than his own. As our class president, he led with grace, he tackled big issues, he spoke from the heart and he embraced everyone, from new freshmen to an old head of school.”
In his speech, McCormick thanked Rhodie and Winters as well as his teachers, counselors, advisers, coaches, trainers, office staff, custodians, security staff, school nurse and parents for their dedication and support.
He knows the small senior class of 12 share a special bond.
“You are my brothers and sisters and it’s been an absolute honor to share the past four years with such an amazing group of athletes, scholars, musicians, inventors, writers, artists and friends,” McCormick said. “We’ve laughed together, bickered together, studied together and played team sports together.
“Even during tough times, when we were feeling stressed out, or overwhelmed, we still always managed to be generous with treat each other with respect. Tiger pride is what drives the culture of our school.”
Indeed, the Class of 2020 won’t forget their one-year experience at Greenwich Country Day School.
“We are a small, but mighty group of 12,” McCormick said. “When we look back years from now, we look back on the senior moments that didn’t happen. We’ll measure it by all the incredible moments that did happen.”
The Greenwich Country Day School Upper School Class of 2020 included: Jonathan Aquino, Tyler Brown, Hamish Tillinghast Dubitsky, Madeline Godin, Sean Shang-Rae Kondracki, Jacqueline Lubarsky, Dylan McCormick, Carylin Rivera, Nichole Roldan, Mauricio Saavedra, Alexandra Short and Veronica Turek.
“This school year has seen you establish a legacy for our new school,” said Vicki Craver, president of the Board of Trustees who presented the students with their diplomas. “You came out stronger and stronger after each challenge you faced and we are all so proud of you.”