A Renewed Tradition: Convocation at Gould

This fall, Gould renewed an old tradition with the return Convocation at the start of school. Held in Bingham Auditorium on the day students returned to campus, Convocation marked the opening of the school year with intention.

Senior prefect Henry G. ’25 opened the ceremony by welcoming the community, followed by an invocation and land acknowledgement from Director of College Counseling Maggie Davis P’29. Head of School Tao Smith ’90, P’23,’28, and senior Ella W. then delivered addresses that aptly set the tone for the transformative year ahead. While less formal than Baccalaureate or Commencement, Convocation served an equally important role: grounding the community in a shared purpose and bookending the seniors’ final year with meaning.

In Tao’s address, he referenced John Green's “Everything Is Tuberculosis” by inviting students to embrace their “immense agency” and the “space between” what they choose and their circumstances, or what is chosen for them.

 

 

“You chose Gould. You chose growth. You chose to step into this community of learners, dreamers, and creators. And in making that choice, you’ve positioned yourself in that powerful space between—the space where your agency meets the world's influence, where your will encounters possibility. This is where you live now. This is where education happens. In the space between.”

Ella’s speech reflected on lessons learned during a summer NOLS expedition in Wyoming that she attended for her Senior Four Point and applied them to life at Gould. Her message focused on the strength of community and the importance of setting aside differences.

 

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What matters is not that we agree on everything, but that we choose to listen to one another with respect. That we stay curious instead of judgmental, and that we find peaceful ways to work through our differences. That’s the kind of spirit that I hope we can carry into this year. Ella W. ’26

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“We sit next to classmates who come from different places, hold different opinions, and see the world in different ways. That’s not a weakness, it’s a gift,” said Ella. “What matters is not that we agree on everything, but that we choose to listen to one another with respect. That we stay curious instead of judgmental, and that we find peaceful ways to work through our differences. That’s the kind of spirit that I hope we can carry into this year.”

Convocation 2025 offered Gould students a moment to pause at the very start of the academic year and consider how they might shape it. Ella’s invitation to practice kindness and Tao’s call for unity among the Husky pack set the stage for a year defined by gratitude and growth.

“Huskies don't run alone. They run together, each dog connected to the others, each one essential to the whole. When the trail gets steep, when the weather turns harsh, when the journey seems impossible—that's when the pack matters most.”

 

See more Convocation photos here

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