B U L L E T I N Taft Portrait of a Graduate - The Taft School

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Taylor Walle ’03 Class Speaker I came to Taft three years ago as a new sophomore and have since considered this to be one of the best decisions I ever made. In so many ways, Taft has helped me to become the person that I am today and, in turn, Taft has become an integral part of who I am—for it is here that I have both discovered and pursued my passions, here that I have made friends with whom I will never lose contact, here that I have grown up so much. My teachers and friends have brought out the best in me, and one of the things I love most about our class is that we bring out the best in each other. We’ve all grown up a lot, but the point is that we’ve done it together and that we couldn’t have done it without each other. Consequently, our friends, classmates, and teachers have all become a part of who we are as much as we have become a part of them. And so, our experiences are no longer solely our Class speaker Taylor Walle (second from right) and family own, but rather part of the collective experience of those around us—and what an incredible experience ours has been. I firmly believe our class to be one of the most talented and accomplished classes Taft has seen in a long time, and I’m so proud to have been a part of it. I have no doubt that we will go on to do great things with our lives, and I can’t wait to see how all of our various talents will manifest themselves in the world outside of Taft. For the past three years I have defined myself largely by my role as a student here and my place in our community and our class. Everyone and everything here has held an unprecedented importance to me, and the prospect of leaving all of this has been unthinkable… I have realized that it is the very strength of my attachment to this place and these people that makes me so ready for the next step. When all of us have gone our separate ways, we will remember our experience here. We will remember our teachers, our classmates, and of course our friends—and in so doing will we be better prepared to face all the challenges that lie ahead. Angus Littlejohn III with his parents Angus and Leslie and sister Lindsay ’05 Glenton Davis (at right) with his family Commencement 2003 28 Taft Bulletin Summer 2003
James Blanchard ’03 Class Speaker When I first came to Taft I was scared. Everyone seemed so much more experienced and confident than I was. I’d never lived away from home or gone to school with girls. Everyone seemed to have their group of friends already, whether from being here freshman year or from coming early to preseason. I wasn’t the best at making new friends, and my initial plan of using my incredible athletic ability to make me more popular failed when I was cut from JV soccer. Academically, I didn’t know what to expect. Everyone I had met seemed so smart that it made me doubt my own ability. I decided to take only regular level classes because the idea of taking an honors level course at a school with so many intelligent people just petrified me. After losing academics and sports, my former two sources of confidence, I didn’t know what to think of myself. However, despite my lack of effort I was still gradually making new friends. I was being accepted by people without even trying. Others more confident than I were making the effort to help out someone who was desperately looking for their acceptance. Looking back on it now, I’ve realized this is what has defined our class in my mind. We are innately good-hearted and good-spirited. We are accepting in nature and nonjudgmental of our peers. You could have taken that 130 pound non athlete, nonscholar and immediately labeled him as an outcast but instead you made him appreciate himself for what he was. You became my source of confidence—both the reasons how and why I did the things I did. You gave me security during the James Blanchard ’03, class speaker, and family members most insecure years of a person’s life. It’s impossible for me to express how much you all have meant to me and even more impossible for me to imagine going to school without you. For all of that there’s nothing I can say except thank you. We’ve made the best possible of this year and I have no doubt in the future that we will all make the best of wherever we go next. The family of Meghan Gallagher (center) celebrates her graduation. Ryan Ahearn and Veronica Aguirrebeitia The preceding excerpts are taken from actual speeches given in May. Taft Bulletin Summer 2003 29
Page 1 and 2: B U L L E T I N Northern Exposure t
Page 3 and 4: F E A T U R E S Satisfaction in the
Page 5 and 6: ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Alumni SPOTLIGHT N
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Page 11 and 12: AROUND THE POND Why a Rhino How the
Page 13 and 14: AROUND THE POND Adam Bronfman ’81
Page 15 and 16: Faculty News Jonathan Bernon, schoo
Page 17 and 18: ANNUAL FUND REPORT Volunteers Raise
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Page 21 and 22: S P O R T Coming off their New Eng
Page 23 and 24: PHOTOGRAPHY BY BOB FALCETTI Rear Ad
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Page 37 and 38: GRETCHEN SAGAN An exquisite basket
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Page 41 and 42: Alumni awards, such as the Citation
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B U L L E T I N Taft Portrait of a Graduate - The Taft School

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