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StuCo President Says Farewell

5/23/2016

With Seniors finishing their last day of classes tomorrow, the rest of the school finishing on Friday, and the flurry of end of year events well under way, assembly this morning was the last time Student Council President, Will Simon ’16, would address the school…

“Today is the last time I will speak from this podium, the last time I’ll have a chance to talk to all of you at once, and I want to tell you that I’m grateful for what has happened over the past year. Thank you. Thank you, thank you. I’ve never been part of a community so passionate, so collaborative, and so dedicated to helping each other. And even with the excitement I have for college, I’m not sure if I’ll see a community like this one for a long time.

I don’t just mean that from a Student Council perspective. I mean that as a student, as an advisee, as a friend, and as someone who came to Hopkins without knowing anybody. This place is truly incredible for all the reasons everybody says it is: strong academics, beautiful buildings, and a brilliant group of faculty. But since I’ve been here, and especially over the past year, I’ve learned what sets Hopkins apart from the rest of the world.

During Back to School Bash, we all came back together as if summer had never distinguished one school year from another. During Homecoming, we celebrated our teams and our spirit and everyone who called themselves Hopkins students before we did. Throughout the year, we enjoyed the work of our artists in the Gallery, we listened to our a cappella groups and our choirs and orchestras and bands right here in assembly, and on Friday, we’ll watch from the Pit as 12 of our classmates complete absolutely ridiculous tasks in the Field Day decathlon.

But none of those events, from BTSB to Field Day, none of them capture the unlimited potential of this place as well as the Canned Food Drive. We made a lot of money, but I care about that less than the fact that we all bought into fundraising. We made a wholehearted effort to participate, because that’s what we do here. We go to dances, we go to each other’s games, we appreciate the creativity in our classmates, and because of that, Hopkins improves. This year, we have engaged in a discussion on race, given thousands of hours for dozens of charities, and all the while, we’ve made Hopkins a better place.

Hopkins is built to be made better, and to make all of us better. It’s a place for growth and for exploration. When my friends talk about their Hopkins experience, they talk about parts of the school I never experienced: computer science, Model UN, student publications, drama, the Senior Mentor program… varsity baseball…the list goes on and on. This isn’t to say that I had a limited Hopkins experience – I didn’t. Instead, I list these things to show how many options we have at a school like Hopkins.

I’m lucky to have spent six years here, and I’m lucky to have worked with so many of you. I’m lucky to have been in your classrooms and on your teams, and I’m lucky to have listened to you sing and watched you perform. Hopkins is an incredible place, but only because every single one of us makes it that way. Thank you.”

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Hopkins is a private middle school and high school for grades 7-12. Located on a campus overlooking New Haven, CT, the School takes pride in its intellectually curious students as well as its dedicated faculty and staff.