On Friday, May 22, the Kingswood Oxford Class of 2026 engaged in their Commencement ceremony on the Senior Green, joined by students, faculty, staff, and parents to enjoy a beautiful and bittersweet graduation.
Retiring science teacher Fritz Goodman delivered the Commencement speech to honor the 40 years he’s worked at the school. Mr. Goodman’s speech focused on the lasting impact that KO had on students and highlighted the importance of receiving a good education.
Commencement started sharply at 10:00 a.m. with a beautiful serenade by the Upper School Orchestra conducted by band and orchestra Director Todd Millen as guests and students took their seats. The ceremony began with the usual procession of trustees, administrators, and faculty and staff, which was followed by St. Patrick’s Pipe Band as they played and walked down the aisles to prepare the guests for the ceremony. Along with the bagpipe performance, the 99 graduating seniors lined up alphabetically in pairs, walked down the aisles, and took their seats in front of the stage.
Once everyone was seated, Kingswood Oxford students performed the school song, “Hail, Kingswood Oxford,” which was written by former orchestra Director Richard Chiarappa, and was directed by choral arts Director Thomas Griffith and performing arts and history Department Chair David Baker, sticking with school tradition.
History teacher Ted Levine then gave the invocation, reflecting on Class Night and further emphasizing the importance of celebrating the graduating students on this special day. After the invocation, senior Dominic Brunalli formally introduced the Commencement speaker, Mr. Goodman, who prepared to give his address.
Mr. Goodman’s speech began by focusing on the challenges students face when entering the world outside of high school. “It’s a much more complicated world that high school students enter than my generation did,” Mr. Goodman said. The topic of misinformation and the importance of recognizing misinformation came up after Mr. Goodman discussed the difficulties of entering the adult world. With advancing AI tools and social media in modern life, it can be difficult to realize what information is true and what information is fake.
Mr. Goodman referred to this environment as “the post-truth era,” and underlined the importance of navigating it correctly. “Through their education at KO, [these graduating students] have been prepared to deal with that reality,” Mr. Goodman said, highlighting the impact KO has on students. Mr. Goodman continued to discuss why education is such an important value to have in life, and how, no matter what kind of person you are, an educated person has the ability to improve their critical thinking skills and recognize the truth from a world full of lies.
“I have come to value the development of intellect,” Mr. Goodman said. Mr. Goodman continued his speech by mentioning how education allows people to make informed decisions and think for themselves. “They need to continue to develop their critical thinking skills,” Mr. Goodman said. “If they don’t, they’ll allow other people to do their thinking for them, and that’s dangerous.”
Mr. Goodman’s speech recognized the need for celebration and acknowledgment of the hard work the senior class has put into their studies, while also emphasizing the importance of his address making an impact and having meaning.
Mr. Goodman then shifted his message to the concept of working with the resources one was given. He mentioned that KO provides students with the necessary tools to make an impact and stay informed, but noted that how the seniors use their education in their lives is what really matters. “You can only be informed if you take advantage of what education has given you,” Mr. Goodman said. “Take advantage of your advantage. KO provides a really good education, but what we want is for you seniors to be able to put it to good use.”
Following his discussion of using what life has provided students, Mr. Goodman then transitioned to how students should use their education to make a positive impact. “You are either adding beauty to the world, or you are detracting from it,” Mr. Goodman said. “There is no middle ground.” He emphasized his point on how one’s actions really can change the world, whether they are good or bad, and encouraged the graduating class to contribute positively to the world around them.
To further add to his discussion on how one’s actions matter, Mr. Goodman made a request of the seniors: to try to make a difference in other people’s lives. Although this task may seem simple, Mr. Goodman framed it as having a lot more meaning than one might think. Mr. Goodman expressed that the most important thing someone can do in life is to be kind. He reiterated his ideas of how small actions can have significant impacts and how, through education, students can make a difference.
To conclude his speech, Mr. Goodman ended with a recitation of the ending lines of John Keat’s “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” to express his love for poetry and tie together the themes of his address, including the importance of education and being informed, the impact of one’s actions, and the fleeting beauty of the truth. “When old age shall this generation waste,” he recited, “Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe/Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say’st,/‘Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all/Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”
Following Mr. Goodman’s Commencement address, the Class of 2026 was called to the stage by Head of the Upper School Lisa Loeb in alphabetical order to receive their diplomas, which were presented by Head of School Tom Dillow. After receiving their diplomas, the graduating class shook hands with Mr. Dillow and Board of Trustees Chair Jeff Gitlin ’85, then returned to their seats.
Mr. Dillow delivered his charge to the senior class, and retiring history teacher Rob Kyff gave the farewell benediction, both of which offered inspiring parting words to the class. To officially end the ceremony, the seniors joined in the recessional to the theme from “Pomp and Circumstance, March No. 1.”
Following the recessional, the graduating seniors participated in one final KO tradition, shaking hands with every single faculty member in a receiving line. The class of 2026 was then officially considered KO graduates who had completed their high school education.
Huge congratulations to the Kingswood Oxford class of 2026! We cannot wait to see all that they will accomplish, and we’ll never forget the impact they’ve made!
