Page 90 - 2011 Wardlaw Hartridge

Dear Class of 2011,
his year, one hundred years after his death, Mark Twain’s autobiography was published. Caught up in the swirl
of college applications and other pressing business, you may not have rushed out to acquire, or even download a copy, but in due time you will come to recognize that he had a lot to say about a lot of things, much of it valuable and often wryly humorous.
Here’s some wisdom from Twain that is sometimes shared at graduations. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
In one sense, this is easy advice to offer at this moment, because all of you will be sailing away from the safe harbor ofWardlaw-Hartridge.ManymembersoftheClassof2011 havealreadyactedinthisspirit,whetherbytakingona role in a school play for the first time, trying a new sport, leading a choral ensemble, studying abroad, volunteering in a hospital in Haiti or somewhere closer to home. Th is is not a call for mindless risk-taking, but an encouragement to stretch your boundaries when you have the opportunity to explore a new side of yourself, to give of yourself to others in new ways, or to rise to a challenge you were not sure you could conquer. Your colleges will provide a tremendous range of opportunities to take on these challenges, but the choice of what to commit to and how much to stretch yourself will be yours alone.
I know I speak for the faculty in sharing that it has been a true pleasure to watch the members of this class emerge as leaders, usually not with excessive brashness but with an understated dignity. I wish you good fortune and discernment as you set off to explore, and ask you to stay in touch with the school. We expect great things from you and will be cheering you on.
Best wishes,
Andrew Webster Head of School