On Wednesday, June 15, Glen Urquhart School (GUS) celebrated the 29 members of the Class of 2022 during graduation exercises at their campus in Beverly Farms, MA.

“Over the course of these last nine years, the last three years in particular, the determination, resiliency, and spirit of the class of 2022 truly shined through,” said Head of School Gretchen Forsyth. “They worked to respect each other and support one another as they strived to find not only the best within themselves, but in every situation. If they can continue to find the learning, the joy, the positive, and the inspiration in everything,  just as they did this year, there is absolutely nothing they can’t do. This is a group headed for great things and it is an honor to celebrate them today.”

Family and friends gathered on Bartlett Field for the intimate ceremony where, as is tradition at GUS, each student was individually recognized and celebrated for their unique contributions to the school community. These ‘graduate introductions’ are presented annually by Head of School Gretchen Forsyth, but are representative of the collective voice of the GUS faculty.

Alumni speakers are a treasured and impactful annual tradition at GUS graduation. Alumni speakers are always selected from the class that was graduating themselves as eighth graders when the current 8th grade class was in Kindergarten. They return as recent college graduates to speak to share words of wisdom and advice with the graduating class. This year’s alumni speakers were Charlotte Collins ’14, who recently graduated summa cum laude from Northeastern University with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a minor in Art, and James Packard ’14, who is scheduled to graduate this December with a B.S. in Computer Engineering and Computer Science, also from Northeastern University. Both speakers encouraged graduates to explore and follow their interests. 

“Try doing something without having any expectation of getting something useful out of it,” shared Packard. “Without the pressure of expectations or deadlines, you’ll discover more and enjoy the process. When you finish a project and realize how much more you know now than when you started, that’s success.”

“Do your best in school, but try to remember that you are not just your grades, or your test scores,” advised Collins. “Your right path is whatever path you end up taking. Don’t be afraid to seek out opportunities for yourself that feel right to you… One of the things that GUS does best is to instill a passion for learning. I swear that everyone I went to school with here is undeniably cool because they do the things they love to do” 

Next fall, GUS graduates will head off to a number of high schools, including Academy at Penguin Hall, Beverly High School, Deerfield, the Governor’s Academy. Hamilton Wenham Regional High School, Landmark, Millbrook School, Pingree School, Proctor Academy, St. John’s Prep, and Waring School. 

Glen Urquhart School Class of 2022

Ridley Acheson, Taylor Aptt, Aurora Balich, Solomon Bennett, Maxwell Bernardi, Noah Boudreau, Minna Brace, Calvin Brown, Bryce Doherty, Zach Doxsee, Ainslie Gorton, Glass Hauck, Beckett Hazel, Raynor Holland, Bella Kristensen, Jacob Kurja, Anne Loring, Henry Loughman, Lucy Lutton, Benjamin Newcomer, Aidan O’Malley, Cora Ready, Gavin Renna, Josiah Reulet, Joshua Taylor, Sydney Taylor, Benjamin Tobin, Michael Towne-Smith, Miya Yen