Milton’s co-head monitors, Caroline Wall (I) and Louis Demetroulakos (I), spoke to students and faculty during this year’s Convocation ceremony. Louis, drawing inspiration from his hero, the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, shared the values of living passionately, savoring the learning process, staying positive, and standing up for that which you believe. “Let’s make this an epic year,” he closed. Caroline—through the unlikely metaphor of unusual medical emergencies—offered solid advice to her fellow students as they begin the school year: venture outside of your circle and comfort zone; try new things; don’t overcommit yourself; and be persistent. “You have 694 potential new friends in this room,” she reminded everyone.
Watch their speeches
Louis Demetroulakos (I)
Caroline Wall (I)
Messages from Head of School Todd Bland and Upper School Principal David Ball were also highlights of the ceremony. Mr. Bland urged students and faculty to approach this year with a positive, “glass half full” attitude. He drew on the example set by Lou Gehrig, whose grace and positivity in the face of his career-ending diagnosis can be an inspiration to all of us. Mr. Ball’s message, which began with a personal (and hilarious) childhood tale of horseback riding in the “grand, majestic American west,” encouraged us to practice “urgent optimism” and “infectious action”—to “stand up, stand for, and give to.” He spoke of the Wright Brothers, who as young boys believed they could transform the human experience through flight, which they did without funding or formal education. “Pedigree doesn’t determine the success of innovation,” Mr. Ball said. “Passion does.”
