Congratulations to the Boston Prep Class of 2022! Watch the entire graduation ceremony and take a look at where our seniors are headed to college.

As we look to the challenging and immensely critical work that lies ahead, I continue to find my greatest inspiration in Boston Prep’s amazing students. Thursday, as we completed the last day of this most complex school year, Kalis, an 11th grade student, completed her final project for her Art Studio course - a portrait of Trayvon Martin composed entirely out of Skittles candies.

On Sunday, Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old unarmed black man, was killed by police during a routine traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Police report that the officer thought they were using a taser and instead fired their gun by accident. This, as many have said, is yet another in a long line of excuses used to justify the assault on Black bodies in the United States. The loss of Daunte Wright's life - and so many other precious lives - at the hands of law enforcement is tragic and inexcusable.

Boston Prep stands in solidarity with the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community at Boston Prep and across our city and country. We steadfastly denounce hatred, racism, and xenophobia in all of its forms. Hate is a virus and one we must fight through actions, in community with one another, today and always. To our AAPI community, we share your pain and your anger, and we extend our love and support to you.

When I was originally thinking about what to say in this speech, the first thing that came to mind was the memories we’ve made. Most of us have been together for the past seven years; we’ve grown up together. We’ve made fun of each other's send outs, ratted each other out for not wearing belts, traveled to another country together, laughed and cried together. We’ve fought with each other like siblings, but we’ve also fought for each other. And that’s what I want to talk about.