Northfield Mount Hermon celebrated the school’s 129th Commencement on Sunday, May 27, 2012 at 11 am.

 

The 209 members of the Class of 2012 were led to Thorndike Field by piper Jarad Weeks ‘08. Emeritus Sheriff of Franklin County Frederick B. Macdonald called the ceremony to order, and senior Iris Kim carried out the Ritual of the Spade, passing the traditional implement to Class of 2013 representative Nasr Maswood.

 

Internationally known children’s rights activist (and NMH post graduate) Kimmie Weeks ’01 greeted students, families, friends, and faculty, saying, “The one year I had at NMH was truly an experience that helped to set the course of where I am today. It has opened doors and created new opportunities, given me confidence in my ability to excel, and made me steadfast in my determination to succeed.”

 

Weeks survived Liberia's civil war and attended NMH as a postgraduate Transition Year Program student. He was a political activist on campus, graduated from Amherst College, and went on to start several advocacy organizations that focus on children's rights in Liberia and other African countries. Weeks has been awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Amherst and he has been recognized with numerous awards for his work on behalf of children around the world.

 

In his commencement address, Weeks described the ways in which his time at NMH shaped his activism, and urged the Class of 2012 to surpass limits and challenges. “You will enter a new brave world as you have never seen before,” he said. “By virtue of you graduating from this school today, you are already set on a path of extraordinary greatness.”