91st Commencement Exercises

 

Good evening Mrs. McGinnis, Mrs. Rizzo, Mr. Wagner, Ms. Breen, faculty, staff, families and friends, and most importantly, my fellow graduates of the class of 2025. My name is Ryan Lily Groneman, and it is an honor to be here, speaking in front of all of you tonight.

It is extremely important to me to first acknowledge my incredible support system, without whom I would not have been here today. To my mom, thank you for inspiring me to work hard and put 100% of myself into everything that I do. To my dad, thank you for your selflessness and unconditional support. It feels like just yesterday that I was praying every single night that you would be there to see me graduate the 8th grade, so to have you here tonight is the biggest blessing. Thank you to my grandparents, who have always shown up and been my biggest cheerleaders. And to my brothers, thank you for being the best friends and role models a girl could ask for. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had each one of you throughout this high school journey.

It feels like just yesterday that we walked through the doors of 2474 Ocean Avenue for the very first time. Walking around with my polo shirt and mask, and my comically long skirt because I was terrified to get in trouble on the first day was a surreal experience. Coming from a middle school where my class had around 25 students, I remember sitting in homeroom scared out of my mind that it would be impossible to make new friends. Luckily, I was sitting next to some amazing people that quickly made me realize that high school wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Freshman and sophomore year was a journey, and every journey is filled with challenges. It is so easy in life to focus on the hard times, like studying for regents and APs, balancing new clubs and sports, and what felt like daily level meetings while we were transitioning into high school. Looking back on it now though, that's not what comes to mind. Instead, I think of our first Walkathon, where it felt like the entire grade came together and hung out around Marine Park and Kings Plaza, and the start of the Nate versus Jimmy basketball games. I think about all of the laughs I had in my free periods, the fun projects in Mrs. McGrath’s English class, and of course, the daily adventures by the B3 bus stop. The little moments are truly what made those first two years special.

Junior year is when everything changed, and the small, happy moments became 10 times bigger. While things became a lot more real with IB classes and searching for colleges, we came together to make some of the best memories yet at basketball games, the emmaus retreats, ring night, and of course the junior prom. It felt like it went by in a flash, but that does seem to happen when you’re having a good time. Suddenly it was senior year, and it seemed like the past few years disappeared before my eyes. Looking around on the last day of classes as we signed each other's shirts, or prom night, when we all looked our very best for one fun night together caused a wave of nostalgia to hit, unlike anything I could have ever imagined. It feels like just yesterday we were those new freshmen with so many years ahead of us, and to see how much we have grown together as a class has been the privilege of a lifetime. If I could go back to early 2021 and tell my eighth grade self who was struggling to choose a high school what the next four years would look like, I would choose SEP again every single time. Even though it hasn’t always been easy, if I didn’t come to Saint Edmund Prep, I would never have gotten the opportunity to know all of the remarkable people in front of me.

Throughout high school I’ve learned so much, both in and out of the classroom. I’d like to now speak directly to my peers, the graduates, and share with you all the biggest lesson that I have learned. Over the past four years so much has been left unsaid. Throughout our entire lives so much will be left unsaid. Oftentimes it is with the people that we love the very most. One of the biggest, most impactful things that we can do in our lives is to speak up, and that is what I urge all of you to do. Tell your family and friends that you love them, and remind them each and every day. If you want to talk to somebody, text them, call them, reach out. If there’s a job or an opportunity that you want, put yourself out there. Have the hard conversations, make plans with the people you miss, compliment a stranger, be kind and inclusive to everybody. You have no idea how much something that may seem small can change your life, or someone else’s. In the words of Charlie from my favorite book, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, “I guess we are who we are for alot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there.” No matter who you are now, you can choose who you will be, and how you will treat others. 

I wish you all nothing but the best, and know in my heart that each one of you has a bright future ahead of you. Thank you for being my classmates, my friends, and giving me stories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Don’t be a stranger, and always remember the family that you have made within Saint Edmund Prep will always be here for you, no matter what. Thank you.

 

Good evening Mrs. McGinnis, Mr. Wagner, Mrs. Rizzo, Ms. Breen, Mr. Romano, faculty, staff, families, friends, and most importantly, the graduating class of 2025. First, thank you all for being here. Thank you to the teachers who believed in us, challenged us, and patiently reminded us to turn in our homework. Thank you to the parents and guardians who stood by us through long nights, early mornings, and everything in between. And thank you to our friends, our classmates, our fellow travelers on this unpredictable journey.

Today is more than just a ceremony. It’s a milestone. The closing of one chapter and the opening of another. The future feels kind of huge right now. It’s thrilling, terrifying, confusing, exciting—and above all, unknown. But that’s what makes it powerful. The unknown isn’t something to fear. It’s something to define for ourselves. We’ve been preparing for it, even when we didn’t realize it.

Growing up, we were always asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” We answered with whatever captured our imagination at the time—astronauts, doctors, artists, programmers, dancers, lawyers, and athletes. Looking back, that question wasn’t really about careers. It was about dreams. It was about imagining possibilities and believing there was a future worth dreaming about. And now here we are, on the edge of that future. But unlike school, it doesn’t come with a syllabus or a grading rubric. There’s no guaranteed A for effort. The world is more complicated, more beautiful, and more unpredictable than anything we’ve prepared for in a classroom.

So how do we face a future without a map? We start by remembering where we’ve come from. We’ve spent years growing—not just academically, but personally. We’ve failed tests and passed them. We’ve argued with friends and made amends. We’ve doubted ourselves—and then surprised ourselves. We've juggled sports, music, clubs, family, part-time jobs, and countless assignments. We’ve been told “no” and found the courage to try again. That’s not just preparation. That’s resilience. And resilience is what we’ll need more than ever as we head into the world beyond these walls.

 

I think back to when I was a 9th grader back in Ukraine. At that time, I had no idea I’d one day be standing here, in a cap and gown, graduating from St. Edmund Preparatory High School, surrounded by new peers who became friends, who became family. My future then was never set in stone. None of ours were. But through all the twists and turns, and through a lot of hard work, I—like all of you—have turned that uncertain future into this very real present. A present built by effort, sacrifice, and belief.

And along the way, I discovered something about myself. Even though I wasn’t officially enrolled in the IB Physics class, I found myself genuinely intrigued by its challenges and complexities. With the teacher’s approval, I chose to spend my free period joining the class—not because I had to, but because I wanted to. It became a space where I made new memories and found joy in learning just for the sake of it.

If there’s one lesson I hope we carry forward, it’s this: follow what you love. Not what’s expected, but what makes you come alive. Let your curiosity guide you. Let passion, not pressure, shape your choices. That’s how we create futures that are not just successful, but meaningful. It’s okay if your path changes. It’s okay if your dream evolves. The world isn’t asking for perfection. It’s asking for authenticity. For courage. For care.

 

Some of us are going straight into college. Some are starting careers, taking gap years, traveling, or figuring things out step by step. And all of that is valid. Success doesn’t have one definition. There’s no single road to happiness. The future we create won’t be the same for all of us—and that’s a good thing.

You might not know exactly what your dream is yet. Or maybe you’ve had a dream your whole life, and suddenly it doesn’t fit anymore. That’s okay. The future isn’t about sticking to a script. It’s about writing your own. And you’re allowed to revise it as many times as it takes. Following what one of our teachers said, “the future is measured by how true you are to yourself, and how much you grow along the way”.

This future is calling us to be more than just successful individuals. It’s calling us to be thoughtful citizens, courageous leaders, empathetic allies, and relentless dreamers. It’s calling us to not just ask “What can I achieve?” but also, “Who can I help? What can I change? What kind of world do I want to build?” There will be moments when we doubt ourselves. When we feel lost, or like we’re falling behind. And when that happens, I hope we remember this day. Not because it was perfect, but because it was proof that we made it this far—and we’re not done yet. Let the future be bold. Let it be unexpected. Let it challenge us—and let it bring out the best in us.

Class of 2025, we are not just stepping into the future—we are shaping it. With every choice we make, every kindness we show, every stand we take, we are defining what the future will look like—not just for ourselves, but for the world around us. And so, I want to leave you with this:
“The world’s one and only truth is that in order to obtain anything, something of equal value must be lost in return”. That’s the First Law of Equivalent Exchange. At first, you might assume that this law means we are sacrificing the past four years to gain our future, but we’re not losing them- instead we’re using their value to transform into our future. 

Thank you—and congratulations, Class of 2025. Our future begins now.

 

Thank you, Principal McGinnis for inviting me to join my alma mater’s Commencement. And a Big Congratulations, Class of 2025!

 

Today marks a major milestone - when you will take all that you have learned through your course work, experiences, and friendships, and take yourselves to the next level of becoming independent contributors in the world.   Whether your next step is college or university, a gap-year, or gaining a year or more of work experience, this next step will present opportunities for you (some that you’ve been hoping for, but many that you did not even think of)….. just be alert, see them coming, and be willing to take a chance!  In fact, I don’t consider that you’re leaving St. Edmunds Prep, but rather, you’re launching into the something new and exciting!

Almost 50 years ago, I sat where you are now.  I had a decent idea of what I wanted to do—not the full picture, but a direction and a path. How many of you have a good idea of what you want to do in the next 5-10 years?
Well, the good news is that the next 4 + years are years of exploration.   While I said I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do as I graduated from St. Edmunds, I had absolutely no idea of the trajectory that my college years, and ensuing work years would take me!  It was a thrilling ride….one that was scary at times, but I can’t think of a single experience in college or in my work life that I regret or would change. 

With technology evolving faster than ever, fueling changes in how we live, learn, work, and connect with people and things, it’s nearly impossible to predict what our world will be like in even 2-3 years.  And with AI in the mix, it might be hard to predict the next six months!

The truth is, no one knows what’s coming next…..and while that question mark can be terrifying at times, it can also

be a kind of solace since actually, you don’t need to have a perfect plan with all your i’s dotted and t’s crossed.   If you did, I assert that much of your plan is likely to change with the experiences that you’ll be getting.   Life doesn’t come with a user manual….you each get to write your own.

So how do you live through, survive and actually thrive in that kind of world?   It’s easier than you may think.  It first requires faith.  Some of you may have heard the well-known podcaster Brene Brown speak on faith.  One of her quotes that resonates with me is “Faith is a place of mystery, where we find the courage to believe in what we cannot see, and the strength to let go of our fear of uncertainty”.  Think about that…..that’s certainly what many of us have learned in our religious faith.   But how powerful is that statement when you apply it to your lives…particularly as you launch out into the next stage of your lives.  The “unknown” is where we grow and thrive, and discover the courage that we didn’t know we had.  The known is comfortable, the unknown is exciting!
It really comes down to having a learning mindset.  I’d like to share with you five traits can help you to have a learning mindset.   

 

With Courage, Curiosity, Creativity, Collaboration and Critical Thinking, you will enable yourselves to become the best that you can be, while having incredible, often unplanned, experiences along the way!  Let me speak briefly to each of these 5 C’s:

 

Courage:  
Be willing to step outside of your comfort zone, and recognize new opportunities that will help you build on your foundational level of knowledge and experiences.  But not only recognize opportunities, take them!  Don’t assume that you’re not ready, or worse, not worthy of particular opportunities.  Be confident and take uncomfortable bets! That involves taking calculated risks.  I was fortunate to have mentors who pushed me out of my comfort zone to take assignments that I didn’t feel I was the most expert for.  It was risky and scary, but it enabled me to grow and understand that many of my perceived limitations were self-imposed.  This built my confidence overtime and eventually I willingly took on more and more tough, challenging assignments.  And don’t be afraid to fail.  Your biggest failure can turn out to be your biggest learning, and can lead to an even greater success.  As you take risks, you will start to become more comfortable with what you’re capable of doing and how far you can stretch yourselves.

 
Curiosity:
View the future as full of Opportunities instead of Challenges.  Be curious…..ask questions…..don’t be afraid that you may look like the stupidest person in the room by asking questions.   Frankly, this is an area that I wish someone had pushed me on when I was much younger.  As an introvert, I often was afraid to speak up and appear “unsmart”.  I wish I had a $1 for every time I didn’t ask a question in my college classes, only to have someone else ask the same question and not seem stupid at all!  Curiosity and asking questions is the basis for learning.  It will open doors – to new information and ideas,  to  introductions to people you didn’t know you needed to know, and it naturally leads to new opportunities.   Curiosity is where learning begins…..use it….follow it.

 

Creativity:
Uncertainty isn’t something to fear…..it’s a chance to create!   I recently heard Astro Teller speak….he’s an entrepreneur and computer scientist who leads Goggle’s X Laboratories and is known for leading the Google Moonshots….here’s what he said about creativity…. “having a creative mindset is more important than mastering the pursuit of excellence.   Be “learning” focused vs. “outcomes” focused in order to better embrace the journey of life and be open to new ideas that lead to even bigger ideas”.   Don’t settle for the first answer.  If something doesn’t sit right, question it.  Maybe, you’ll create something even better!

Collaboration:
The good news is that you don’t have to do it all yourselves. Actually, great things rarely happen alone. Surround yourselves with people who are compliments to your skillset, and learn from them.  You’ve all heard the saying, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts…..well it’s really true!  At IBM, I worked with amazing, brilliant people from many backgrounds.  The best ideas came from teams of diverse people, not solo efforts.  It takes collaboration, in which people with different areas of expertise, different perspectives, different pov’s come together to make something even better.  I’m sure many of you have already seen this in projects you’ve worked on at St. Edmund’s….. you will see this occur even more powerfully in your college courses and work environments. 

 

Critical thinking:
AI can do a lot – but it can’t think like you. One of the main abilities separating humans from AI is critical thinking…… “the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment”. Critical Thinking is one of the most important skills you can have. Being able to take new inputs, marrying them with what you already know from experience, and logically weighing and deducing the best solution.  It’s what higher education is meant to foster and develop.  Imagine a world without critical thinking in which we know only what we already know and there’s no reasoning, judgement or deduction. 

 

Even though I’ve been taught that people often only remember a handful of major points, I’m going to add another C... Compassion. 
We are living in a time when it’s easier to argue than to try to understand.  That is certainly a show-stopper for collaboration, and the down-wind effects on creativity and innovation. But compassion – really listening, trying to understand someone else’s view – is the foundation of collaboration, creativity and progress.  Lead with empathy, and you’ll not only connect better – you’ll help build a better world!.  

 

So, as you launch into this next chapter, I leave you with these thoughts: 
•    See your future as a set of exciting opportunities, not an intimidating set of challenges.  Every obstacle (and you will hit obstacles) is an opportunity for you to learn, grow and thrive.   
•    Embrace failure as a step towards growth.  Push yourselves to take risks as you try new things.  
•    Actively build strong support networks of friends, family, teachers and mentors who will help guide you and challenge you to be the best versions of yourselves.
•    And above all, believe in your ability to learn, lead and thrive – especially when the path isn’t clear.

 

I wish you all amazing adventures and great success.  YOU’VE GOT THIS!

 

 

Since you first walked in the front doors to 2474 Ocean Avenue you were challenged with the grand idea of emulating the strength and courage of an eagle. To step up and be at the forefront of all that we hold to be sacred. To be leaders in your classes, clubs and sports. To be leaders in your community and to be leaders in your faith. To show courage in the face of adversity and strength in the moments of fear and doubt. 

Each and every one of you has stepped up in at least one of those ways during your time at St. Edmund Prep. And now I want to challenge you to go BEYOND that which we have asked you to do.

 

I know that this is a big ask. What is more grand or spectacular than the eagle? And how can I ask this of you, especially as you are ending this chapter of your story and are about to start the next? The answer is simple, because in one way or another, you will always and forever be an eagle. Now I know that you will most likely forget this big ask of being greater and forget this moment where I am challenging you to go above and beyond anything you ever thought to be possible. In essence, to become an Eagle 2.0. A bigger, better, more improved version of your high school eagle. 

But I know, deep down something inside of you will stir when you are asked to step up and out of your comfort zone. When it is YOUR time to lead. And when that moment happens, and the trepidation, fear or doubt creeps in, take a breath and remember: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, or the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." This quote comes from chapter 31 verse 6 of the book of Deuteronomy. I wanted to share this little bible passage with you because I rely on it quite a bit, especially in the moments of doubt and fear, which quite frankly are very much a part of being an adult, which you my friends, are on the precipice of becoming.   

 

I wanted to take this last moment to remind you of God's presence in your lives. The reality that he will never leave you and that He will be walking alongside you, guiding you and protecting you. He will be the footsteps in the sand next to yours. So it is ok to take the leap when it is your time, because with God at your side, all will be ok. 
So go be brave. Be strong. Be an eagle, better yet, an eagle 2.0, today and always. 

 

Congratulations to our Class of 2025!