On Friday, June 12th, the Waldorf School of Garden City celebrated its 56th Commencement and the achievements of the 27 members of the Class of 2015. The keynote commencement address speaker – chosen by the graduating class – was Waldorf alumnus as well as Camp Glen Brook’s Facilities Director Mr. Grant Butler ’85.

Senior class co-advisor Mr. Jeffrey Katzman also addressed the graduates. Three seniors were also selected by their classmates to speak on behalf of the graduating class: Emma Indelicato, Deepjot Singh Sohal and Mikayla Ver Pault.

The class of 2015 has been accepted into over 100 colleges and universities. (To view a list of college acceptances, click here.)

What They Said

The full text of remarks delivered by Jeffrey Katzman, Emma Indelicato, Deepjot Singh Sohal, Mikayla Ver Pault and Grant Butler ’85 are available by clicking on each name. Following are excerpts.

“Class of 2015 as you go forth, I think it will quickly become apparent, if it hasn’t already, there may be a dichotomy between how you seem to be perceived, and what you truly are.” said Senior Class Co-Advisors Jeffrey Katzman. “Have confidence that in any awkward silence you might hence forth encounter, the onus most likely lies in the limitations of your interlocutor. You are an absolutely amazing class. And I’m sure I speak for Ms. Gallo and myself when I say that it has been a pleasure to serve as your advisors.”

Said graduating senior Emma Indelicato, “At the Waldorf School, dragons and gnomes are brought to life; At Waldorf, we mined the old world to build our foundations for new ideas; Waldorf, almost by magic, seems to transcend time. I always felt that Waldorf was forever a fairyland, a constant dream that persists the pressures of reality. Even during the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, when I would leave the sights of smashed house and blackened windows for the early-morning haul to school; or when I would come home to finality of my Grandma facing the worst stages of her cancer; whenever life was just a little too chaotic, devastating, and real – here to the Waldorf School I would come for seven hours of learning, friendship, and stability.” In the fall, Emma will attend Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University.

“It is finally time for all of us to take the exceptional education we have received and apply it to our particular interests,” said graduating senior Deepjot Singh Sohal. “Waldorf education is truly one of a kind. Beginning from nursery and ending in twelfth grade, each and every aspect of what was taught to us had a particular significance whether we choose to believe so or not.” Deepjot will be attending George Washington University in September.

“In ninth grade, we were really just like pieces of a puzzle thrown together to make up the class of 2015,” said graduating senior Mikayla Ver Pault. “We were a bunch of athletes, mathletes, comedians, artists, dancers, writers, and singers, but we were not put together and hanging tight like the nice picture on the outside of the puzzle box. Slowly but surely, though, with help from our teachers, we figured out the ways of high school.” Mikayla will be attending Tufts University in September.

“You all were generous enough to share with me things you might remember about the school or Glen Brook thirty years from now. I would like to share with you a quote from one of you, written just this past spring,” said Camp Glen Brook’s Facilities Director Grant Butler. ““Glen Brook is a whole other world to me. When I am there, I feel free and genuinely happy. Being alone with my class there is my favorite thing to do. Along with that, the nature is absolutely incredible. The air is crisp, and clear, and I love walking through the tall grass on the hill. My absolute favorite aspect of Glen Brook is what I like to call “Glen Brook Mornings”. I don’t know why, but I really feel that it’s the best part of my day. The food is fresh, the company is warm, and it really starts to feel like home. I will never forget how happy I was to be there, and I will always cherish my time there.”

An accredited member of the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) and the Association of the Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA), the Waldorf School of Garden City is a 360+ nursery through grade 12 college preparatory day school. From the early exploration and rich play children experience in the early childhood program to the sophisticated conceptual challenges of the high school curriculum, the Waldorf School of Garden City nurtures the healthy and balanced development of the whole human being. The school’s approach to learning encourages academic, intellectual, artistic, moral and social growth and lays the groundwork for a satisfying and creative future.