June 21, 2019
As is typically the case when the young people we have enjoyed getting to know move on to new adventures in their lives, graduation on June 21 was bittersweet. We are so proud of our 14 very talented and accomplished young men and women who are ready to tackle the world. We have no doubt that our paths will cross again as all learn to appreciate and cherish the global friendships that we developed while at Merrick Prep. Perhaps no one captured this better than our Valedictorian, Al-Waleed, did in his Valedictory Address:
“As an international family, we learn about each other’s languages, so that our daily vocabulary quickly becomes a mixture of many languages all thrown together into one. We also learn different cultural practices and get to celebrate those differences with each other. Perhaps the most important thing we learn is how to acknowledge and respect the different and unique perspectives that each of us brings to Merrick. We don’t learn to appreciate those differences just in the classrooms. We learn it in the dining hall and the snack bar. We learn it outside playing basketball and soccer. We learn it on weekends when we stay up way too late playing Monopoly. And while at first it may not seem like much, these international friendships have helped us to develop empathy and respect for each other. As the world continues to be come more globalized and interconnected, respecting each other is going to become more important with each passing year. So, the lessons we learn here outside of the classroom, may just become the most important lessons we will keep with us as we leave Merrickville and go out in the rest of the world.”