With the images of last week’s devastation in Florida fresh on our minds, it seems nearly impossible to comprehend how the communities that have been literally flattened will ever rise again.
- Where will all of those displaced families live now?
- How will the communities even begin to clean up?
- Can the neighborhoods and schools be rebuilt?
- How would we handle such a catastrophe if it happened in our community?
- How can we help?
The enormity of these questions is overwhelming. The size and scope of the devastation is difficult to process. And yet – human nature endures. People find ways to move forward. Families manage to get back on their feet. Communities heal. As unlikely as it may seem, we manage.
I’m reminded of how the students and employees in independent schools like ours have tackled significant challenges over the past few years. While COVID certainly did not hit with the force of a major hurricane – it did fundamentally alter the way we see the world.
And still, we might end up being stronger and wiser for it.
In the Spring of 2021, I had the honor of delivering the commencement address at our school’s graduation ceremony. Having just navigated a year of COVID-related challenges, the class of 2021 (with the help of their teachers and coaches) had become, I believe, uniquely qualified to handle ANYTHING the world might throw at them in the years ahead!
Given what they dealt with as high school juniors and seniors, the Class of 2021 was ready for anything! Through their experience, they had developed the tools – and the mindset – to do great things.
My goal on the stage that May morning was to help them see this for themselves. From my perspective, the members of the Class of 2021 were now equipped with three powerful tools.
- Somehow – despite all the ways their world had been turned upside down – the Class of 2021 maintained a degree of optimism that our school community found both refreshing and uplifting. These students took their leadership role seriously – keeping their spirits high and their attitudes positive every step of the way. By Spring of their senior year, their optimism had become contagious!
- At the same time, the Class of ‘21 demonstrated an amazing resilience. They never backed down. They never let the hassles that COVID presented deflate or defeat them. Whether they were applying to colleges or planning their Senior prom, they found ways to make things happen. They pressed on at every turn – adapting as needed and showing the younger students (and the adults!) on campus how to be flexible, creative problem solvers.
- In the end, though, the thing that left the biggest impression about this class was its kindness. As a group and as individuals – the members of this class NEVER lost sight of the importance of taking care of each other. Of being kind to each other. At a time when it seemed that the entire world was suffering from fatigue, frustration, and fear – our seniors demonstrated the one thing that matters most. Kindness.
Think about it. If a group of young people can approach the most challenging experience in their lives to date with this level of optimism, resilience, and kindness – we surely can benefit from their example.
Maybe the actions of these students can help us answer questions like those we encountered after seeing the images from Hurricane Ian. It’s human nature, they showed us, to look at the bright side – see the possibilities. To find a way. And, when it matters most, to take care of each other.
Sure, the aftermath of a natural disaster is an extreme example. The devastation in Florida is life changing. But whatever the level of struggle, communities that demonstrate optimism, resilience, and kindness are likely, I believe, to find ways to not only endure -- but to thrive -- in the face of challenge.
William D. Diskin
Director of Admission and Financial Aid
Cannon School