Schools

Agnes Irwin Graduates 64

Student spoke of the "fiery, feisty Class of 2011."

From Agnes Irwin:

Student speaker Michelle Ryan ’11 spoke to the 64 young women from the Class of 2011 at ’s 142nd Commencement on June 9 at Bryn Mawr College’s Goodhart Hall.

Ryan spoke on behalf of the “fiery, feisty Class of 2011.” She shared with the audience some of the things that made the Class of 2011 unique, in particular that they “pushed boundaries.”

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Ryan explained, “We gave winning productions and created countless works of art. We got rid of plastic water bottles in the cafeteria and broke ground on the first Agnes Irwin garden.” She also thanked the Upper School teachers for their “patience, for keeping their doors open, and for sharing your passion for your subject areas with us.”

Finally, Ryan thanked her classmates for giving her the confidence to be who she was. She said, “Thank you to each member of the great Class of 2011. You have all changed my life. We are the fire; we are the feisty, frisky Class of 2011.”

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Annie Murphy Paul ’91, noted author and writer for TIME Magazine, spoke to the graduating class.

In addition to writing for TIME Magazine, Paul is the author of the books Origins and The Cult of Personality. She spoke to the graduates about what the future will hold for them. Paul remembered her Agnes Irwin Commencement rehearsal 20 years ago, “I remember what was playing on the radio when I was driving home. It was REM’s It’s the End of the World as We Know It. I thought to myself that this would be the end of the familiar life of living at home and going to Agnes Irwin, the end of the identity I’d forged over years of spending time with classmates, teachers and family.”

She shared with the graduates that she was right, and wrong, that she did change, but some things also stayed the same. “College is an amazing opportunity for reinvention. Your notion of who you are and what you’re capable of can surprise you in amazing ways.” Paul said that each girl needs to find her passion through what she enjoys and what defines her. She explains, “You can choose what you do, but you can’t choose what you like to do. Appreciate those qualities that are closest to your core, those parts of your self that make you unique and essential. Stay wide open to new experiences and new perspectives, while holding close those beliefs and passions that define you.”

Paul is former senior editor at Psychology Today magazine, and her writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, Slate, Discover, Health, O: The Oprah Magazine and many other publications.


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