Kingswood Oxford's Class of '14 Graduates in May 23 Ceremony

Wearing the traditional white dresses and navy blazers accented with red roses, the 93 members of the Class of '14 graduated from Kingswood Oxford on May 23 in a heartwarming ceremony filled with smiles and snippets of nostalgic music.

Click here for a complete list of graduates, and here for a list of the colleges and universities to which they were accepted.

For the third year in a row, a soggy Senior Green and a threatening forecast compelled Head of School Dennis Bisgaard to move the 102nd commencement exercises indoors to the Brayton Ice Hockey Rink.

Of the 93 students in the Class of ’14, 16 had parents or grandparents who also graduated from KO. The students came from 32 different towns in the Greater Hartford area; the biggest feeder towns were West Hartford (33), Glastonbury/South Glastonbury (11), and Farmington (4).

The class included a National Merit Scholar, Alexandra Stanton of West Hartford, and nine other students who were recognized for outstanding performances on standardized exams.

Nearly half the class (41 students) graduated with honors. Though KO does not name a valedictorian, Allie Stanton received the “Dux Prize,” awarded to the senior with the highest GPA for the year.

The Class of '14 also had an unusually large number of students -- 21 -- who plan to play sports in college, including three who are headed to Div. 1 programs.

"We at KO have done our utmost to provide you with a rich environment and a culture of opportunity in which you could explore, grow, make mistakes, get back up," Bisgaard said in his charge to the graduates. "We have tried to provide you with safety blankets, second chances, soft places to land when someone, or even you yourself, knocked yourself over or off balance. We have attempted to bring your versatility, self-confidence and talents -- things that were always within you -- to the surface, and I believe we, together with your parents and families, have been successful beyond measure.

"But your continued success in life, in big part, will depend on your ability to adapt to new circumstances, to deal and grapple with complexities, uncertainties, ambiguity; to learn, unlearn, and relearn; to incorporate and adapt to new technologies; to collaborate with people from many walks of life and many parts of the world; to think outside the box, to problem solve, to break through walls and barriers; to approach things critically," he continued. "Most importantly, I believe, you must do your best to overcome your own fears of failure, any self-doubt that might creep into your mind. Don’t hold back. Never hold back. Be your full self, and life will be richer for it."

In keeping with KO tradition, the seniors chose a faculty member – retiring Math Department Chair Jonathan Clapp -- to deliver the commencement address.

Admitting he found it daunting to try to impart new or unusual words of wisdom to the graduates, Clapp instead turned to music -- snippets from a wide range of songs played throughout his talk -- to convey everyday wisdom.

"Songs are full of profound thoughts, accessible to all, and simply packaged," he said. "Songs offer us metaphors and mirrors to our joys, our sorrows, our aspirations, our anxieties. We can learn about global issues, politics, personal conduct, the future, the past, through song.  Song offers us a reflection on family, friends and home.

"Class of 2014, you are just getting started," he continued. "Oh, the adventures you will have, some hard times too. Keep a song in your head, a song in your heart, and you will survive," he added, as the first notes of Gloria Gaynor's signature tune began to fill the air.

"Class of 2014, always know that even thousands of miles away, we are with you in spirit, we are here for you," Bisgaard concluded. "You will never be truly alone. Reach back and we will be here."