As President of the class of 2024, Isabel Baxter-Paris ’25 delivered the senior address during Williston Northampton’s 184th Convocation ceremony. Below are her remarks in full. Watch a video of her speech here.
Good evening Williston faculty, members of the board of trustees, fellow students, and especially to the exceptional class of 2025. Thank you for affording me the opportunity to speak today. I also want to thank the staff of physical plant and SAGE dining, without whom this event – and everything we do at Williston – would not be possible.
First, I want to welcome all of our new students and faculty. We are so lucky to have you here, and you are so fortunate to have joined a community like Williston. I think that oftentimes, convocation speeches focus solely on the future, and what we hope to accomplish and celebrate as we usher in the upcoming academic year. I would like to take a moment to reflect on Williston’s storied past, and share with you how I believe it can guide and impact the year ahead.
This year, we commemorate a momentous milestone in our school’s history, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Northampton School for Girls. As many of you already know, Williston Academy was an all-boys school until 1971, when we merged with the Northampton School for Girls to become “The Williston Northampton School.”
Of course, we are now a thriving coeducational institution, but I believe that all students, regardless of gender, can learn valuable lessons from our predecessors at the Northampton School for Girls.
A century ago, Sarah Whitaker and Dorothy Bement established the Northampton School for Girls, which dared to prepare young women for higher education (and even, the workforce). Many women’s schools during this period primarily functioned as “finishing schools,” but Miss Whitaker and Miss Bement were determined to provide their students with an education that rivaled – dare I say exceeded – that of all-boys’ schools like Williston Academy. Revolutionary during their time, when women’s education was mainly focused on typing and home economics, not intellectual rigor, the students at the Northampton Schools for Girls rose to meet every challenge–for example, seniors completed summer reading assignments that often exceeded thirty books. So, those of you who haven’t started your summer work would have been in serious trouble.
Like today’s Williston students, the women at the Northampton School for Girls were not solely focused on academics; Whitaker and Bement instilled in their students a strong sense of social responsibility.
During the great depression, Sarah Whitaker worked without pay, waiving tuition fees for countless families, to ensure that cost was not a barrier to receiving an outstanding education. During World War II, worker shortages on local farms created a need for additional potato farmers. Northampton School girls answered the call, and woke up at dawn each morning to harvest potatoes and asparagus before arriving to English class. After the war, the school raised funds for a French town that had been decimated by the German occupation, and Bement was even awarded a medal from the French government for her efforts.
Not only did Miss Whitaker and Miss Bement offer generations of students access to a higher quality education, they encouraged them to take action beyond their school community, and go on to impact the world in ways their mothers and grandmothers never could have imagined.
I know a little something about strong women. My great-grandmother was a nurse at a local women’s college, who, in the 1960s, stopped at nothing to ensure her patients had access to reproductive healthcare. My mother planted me on a street-corner when I was five years old and told me to hold a campaign sign for a US senate candidate; she wanted me to understand that anyone, at any age, had the power to have their voice heard and impact their community. When I first started at Williston, I was immediately inspired by Ms. Cody’s infectious passion for the Roman World and unconditional support of all of her students. Throughout my time in the upper school, I have marveled at my advisor, Ms. Fogg’s leadership of our inspiring faculty and of her unrelenting advocacy on behalf of each and every member of our advisory.
As I think about the legacy of women’s education in this country, it is remarkable to recognize how far we have come. It is possible that in this momentous year, a century after the founding of the Northampton School for Girls, a woman could finally shatter the highest, hardest glass ceiling, and potentially assume the presidency of the United States.
The Northampton School for Girls merged with Williston Academy in 1971, and we retained much more than just the name “Northampton.” We kept the Angelus, the bell on the residential quad, which you will hear at the end of this ceremony, and, thanks to Ms. Cody, is still rung every Friday afternoon allowing us to pause for a moment of quiet reflection. Embracing the spirit of our coeducational community, donations from Northampton School for Girls alumnae enable students of all genders and backgrounds to attend Williston. We still award a White Blazer at commencement to honor the student who best exemplifies the values personified by Whitaker and Bement. And, most importantly, we continue to encourage the joint pursuit of excellence and social action.
I can think of no one who has lived up to these two ideals more than our inspiring alumna, Gabby Thomas. Obviously, Gabby is an exceptional athlete; she now holds five Olympic medals to prove it. But although she might be known around the world for her athletic prowess, she is revered in her local community for volunteering at a free clinic. Most evenings, after grueling hours of training, Gabby devotes her time to serving some of the countless Americans who live without health insurance. Although she was not awarded a gold medal for these contributions, Gabby’s impact can be measured by the life-changing kindness and assistance that she has shown, and by her contributions to eradicating disparities in the American healthcare system. During her time at Williston, Gabby was an exemplary student athlete. I’m sure that many of you follow in Gabby’s footsteps, and reach similar heights of athletic achievement and community involvement.
This school year, I challenge all of you to channel the spirit of Sarah Whitaker and Dorothy Bement; balance the pursuit of excellence with kindness and engagement in our school community. What will our impact be on one another? On the world that lies ahead of us?
Will you help a middle schooler find their classroom in the chapel? Will you welcome a new student into your dance circle tonight? Will you offer to babysit a faculty kid, help your friend with Mr. Berghoff’s chemistry homework (they’ll definitely need it), show up to every thirds basketball game, or cheer on your classmates in the Winter Musical?
This year, I hope you will take inspiration from Sarah, Dorothy, and Gabby Thomas, and be a conscientious citizen of your home in the Pioneer Valley. Take the time to volunteer with the community service club at the Ronald McDonald house, sing in the annual Easthampton Whoville celebration, and donate warm clothes to those in need at the Winter Warmer Concert.
Class of 2025, if you model this behavior, I promise underclassmen will follow. In eight short months, we will gather again on this lawn, and you will embark on the next chapter of your lives. Consider what you want your legacy to be on this campus. Regardless of your gender, I hope you will always carry with you the spirit and ideals of Dorothy and Sarah, and that you will harness the power of your Williston education to become engaged and impactful citizens of the world.
Thank you.
