Join us as we share a unique and heartwarming graduation speech from Nora, Class of ’25. Framed as a letter to her first-year self, Nora reflects on four transformative years, from cultivating a garden to unexpected soccer games, and finding a true sense of belonging. Discover the impact of a Sudbury education through her honest and moving reflections on growth, friendship, and preparing for the future.
Transcript:
Good morning,
When I decided to format this speech as a letter, I had a few concerns because, as only a few of you know, when I send actual letters to people, they start to lean towards sounding like I’m writing to a husband fighting on the front lines of World War Two. So, I’ll try my best not to fall into that habit for you all today. This letter is addressed to myself my first year at Fairhaven.
May 31, 2025
Dear Nora,
Yes, Fairhaven School is still a pretty weird place. That won’t change despite attending for four years. However, you’ll get better at following the flow of school life and you will soon start to take the odd and unconventional in stride. You will begin to salute the children who patrol the porches everyday carrying anime weaponry bigger than their bodies, you will become thoroughly impressed by the student who drinks from soda cans by biting the entire metal lid off, and you will happily answer all the questions a young student has about the emotional state of your computer case and explain why it chose not to come to school with you that day. Yes, these are all real things that will happen, I promise.
This last year at school you’ve spent your time doing things you never would have predicted four years ago.
Still in your first terms of JC, you’re probably still searching for letters on the keyboard and typing with two fingers. Don’t give up because although it looks like you’ll never completely master this position, you’re a week away from finishing an entire year of being student Law Clerk. We now type with all ten fingers and only occasionally look down at the keyboard.
Later in your first year you will meet your best friend Kieran, and even later into the next year you will meet your other best friend, Inez. Together, you will cook food, paint play sets, and talk about anything and everything, and by hanging out with them, Fairhaven begins to feel more and more like home. Though we’ve been separated this past year by work and school, they continue to show up for us, in fact they’re in the audience listening to this letter right now. Also in the audience are Star and Hailey, who you couldn’t have survived this year without. As I get ready to leave Fairhaven, I hope that I’ve been able to make school feel more like home for each of them as well.
I know we swore off soccer in middle school, so I really hate to break it to you, but we spend hours playing it at Fairhaven. In a shocking turn of events, Wesley and Hailey will team up and guilt trip you into playing soccer with them almost every day, and you won’t be able to say no because if you show up to the field now, maybe they’ll remember that you’re on their team later. You can’t say it’s all been fun and games, but you genuinely get prouder of the people that play as you get to spend time with them and watch them improve. You’re going to miss all of them when you leave, you’re certain of it.
Attending college has always been the idea, but it’s only really been this year that you decided you were ready for it. Unsurprisingly, you don’t throw yourself at math workbooks and classic literature while attending Fairhaven, so you confess you don’t have that in your wheelhouse. Instead, you find yourself able to quickly navigate the new environments you encounter, feeling supported and valued in a community that you consider a second home, and becoming proud of the person you feel you’re growing into.
With that in mind, I challenge you to live your next four years as I have, and to regret it for even a moment.
Sincerely,
Nora of the Future
And with that I have a few people I’d like to thank. First and forever, I’d like to thank my family. Thank you to my aunt and cousins who are very far from home to be here with us and celebrate on this day, Thank you to my aunt and uncle who have attended performances and agreed to pick me up from school even though it was hours out of their way, Thank you to my grandparents who have become active participants in talkabouts and are allowing all of us crazy people to use their home for a party right after this. Thank you to my siblings who endured long rants at dinner about JC and play by plays of my day. Thank you to my parents for supporting me and trusting me to make you proud at this school.
Thank you to all of my friends who are here for me and the other graduates, you keep me sane and drive me crazy and I couldn’t be more grateful for you all.
And last but surely not least, thank you to all the staff without which Fairhaven would not be the same. You have guided me to become thoughtful, empathetic, ambitious, improvisational, and honest.
Thank you all for having me.
