Seniors and their families gathered on Ted Slavin Field on Sept. 10 for the 90th Senior Ceremony. Each senior was given a personalized ring or class pin, as well as flower crowns or boutonnieres, to represent class spirit.
Senior Prefects Ryan Cheng ’24, Glory Ho ’24, Elizabeth Johnstone ’24 and Nyla Shelton ’24 gave speeches about the class’s growth and the meaning of the ceremony and school.
Shelton said the pursuit of joy both academically and within the community has defined the class throughout their time at the school.
“Over time, our emphasis on the pursuit of excellence has changed,” Shelton said. “It felt easy at the beginning of our journey to drop the joyful part of the mission statement because pursuing excellence was the important part. [However], here our class has come together, is in how we’ve shifted our focus to joy. The idea or the practice of incorporating joy into our existence has come to represent more than a mere task on a to-do list.”
The ceremony also featured a performance by the Jazz Singers, the school’s jazz vocal ensemble. After seniors received their class rings or pins, History Teacher Lilas Lane spoke as the faculty speaker elected by the seniors. In her speech, Lane encouraged seniors to slow down and savor the moment during their final year at the school.
“Relish these days,” said Lane. “Try to remember that these are the good old days, not just because it’s your last year of high school [or] your last year together as the unique congregation of the Harvard-Westlake class of 2024. But because you are here now. It is happening now. You will never live these moments again. So live them fully. Be present. Be kind. Make connections and nurture them. Know that I speak for the teachers when I say we adore you. We appreciate you and we are gratified by you every single day.”
Cole Hall ’24 said he appreciates the ceremony for the sense of community it inspires.
“All the speeches were heartwarming, but to be honest, I’ve never felt so close to my grade as I did in that moment,” Hall said. “Everyone was just taking pictures with each other. And I took pictures with people I hadn’t talked to in years. It just felt really good to come together like that.”
Raquel Moradi ’26, who attended the ceremony for her brother, Aaron Moradi ’24, said the experience made her more excited for her own senior year.
“The [senior] ceremony was very meaningful and memorable as it’s an old tradition,” Moradi said. “It was touching to see how far my brother has come over the years, and I’m looking forward to experiencing that when I’m a senior.”