Celebrating the Class of 2017
Source/Author: Mike Murphy, Headmaster
May 12, 2017
Commencement Weekend is here.
This morning was the Shorecrest Senior Celebration Walk. The Seniors walked through campus wearing the shirts of the universities they will attend. Students in Alpha through Grade 11 were able to give them high fives and a send-off salute as the seniors headed to Commencement rehearsal. Believe it or not, it won’t be long before your own child is a senior!
The members of the Class of 2017 will move on to United States Military Academy, UF, FSU, UCF, Occidental, Howard, Tufts, Florida Institute of Technology, Tulane, UNC, Michigan, Georgetown, Belmont, Duke, Colorado School of Mines, FIU, Florida Poly, Rollins, Northeastern, Elon, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Richmond, U of Rochester, N. Florida, USF, U of Tampa, Oklahoma State, William and Mary, Oxford at Emory, U of Miami, Kenyon, University of West Virginia, Virginia Tech, SMU, Smith, Loyola Marymount, Purdue, St. Pete College, Florida Gulf Coast, Florida Southern, New College, U of Mississippi, Boston U, Rollins, NYU, U of Colorado Boulder, and one senior will be in India for a year as a Rotary Exchange student before beginning university study. This is an amazing variety of schools that represent the individuality of the class.
29 of the 76 seniors have been at Shorecrest for 12 years or longer. Eight are the children of graduates – our Legacies! One is the daughter of the first Headmaster and the great granddaughter of our Founder. One is the niece of a Founder and daughter of an alumna. Her grandfather helped build and maintain the buildings and property that now house the older sections of the Lower School and Alpha.
During their time here, our seniors have dazzled the community with their art and theatrical performances. They have set school records in football with the longest field goal, swimming in 100 Breaststroke, 200 Medley Relay and 400 Free Relay, and Track with the 1600m in 5:05.71. Some will pursue the arts while in college and at least four will be on athletic teams at their universities.
The Shorecrest Mission charges us to pursue personal and academic excellence. Our seniors have. The Mission goes on to call us to pursue physical well-being and creative achievement. There is no doubt our seniors have taken advantage of the opportunities to stretch in both the physical and creative arenas. Finally, our Mission directs us to develop a sense of social responsibility. Members of this class have contributed thousands of hours to organizations like The Boys and Girls Clubs, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Relay For Life, The Islamic Society of Pinellas, The Holocaust Museum, Great Explorations, The Morean Arts Center, American Heart Association, Academy Prep, Southeastern Guide Dogs and Habitat for Humanity, just to name a few.
On Sunday the members of the Class of 2017 will receive their diplomas, cross the stage and receive their alumni pin. This summer they will head off to use the knowledge, skills and values their parents, guardians, family members and teachers have attempted to impart over the past 17 and 18 years. These foundational years will ideally lead to the best years of their lives. I trust I speak for the community as I wish them well, congratulate them and their families and say,
Cheers!
Cheers!
Mike
(Find more excitement and stories about the Class of 2017 on our website and social media over the next 2 weeks using #shorecrest17)
