"The work is sweeter now than ever": NMH Celebrates the Class of 2025

Chilly temperatures and the threat of rain couldn’t put a damper on the festivities at Northfield Mount Hermon on May 23 to 25, as the school celebrated the Class of 2025 during Commencement weekend. The weekend culminated under the big tent on Thorndike Lawn on Sunday, when 190 seniors, representing 24 states and 25 countries, received their diplomas to the thunderous applause of friends, family, and faculty.

NMH’s 142nd Commencement ceremony began with a welcome from Head of School Brian Hargrove “Today, we celebrate you and your significant accomplishments strengthening your heads, hearts, and hands during your time at NMH,” Hargrove said. “You are endowed with the tools, skills, and knowledge to serve and lead; you know what it means to stand with those who are underrepresented and to be a champion for those whose voice cannot be heard. Friends, you will change the world with your voices and your actions.”

Class orator Shai Lipton-Ferguson ’25 delivered an address to his fellow graduates reflecting on their shared experiences in the context of the NMH school song, “Jerusalem.”

“I want each of us to think of the people in this class who have helped make this place your Jerusalem,” Lipton-Ferguson said. “Think about what they have done for you, how they have made you feel. Jerusalem is how we have helped each other, how we have loved each other.”

He encouraged his classmates to enjoy their accomplishments and the lessons they took from NMH and then bring those lessons forward into the next leg of life’s journey.

“Soon it will be our responsibility…to build new Jerusalems in each place we are going for the new people that we meet,” he said. “It is now our responsibility, our privilege, to spread the love that has been given to us to every corner of the world.”

Commencement speakers Mariah Draper Calagione ’89 and Sam Calagione III ’88, founders of Dogfish Head Brewing Company, both have deep ties to NMH that extend beyond their time as students.

Mariah spoke of the enduring impact NMH has had on her life: from the legacy of her father, Thomas Draper ’60, who served on the board of trustees, through her time as a student and board of trustees member, to the excitement of watching her own children, Sam IV ’18 and Grier ’20, and nephew, Mack Russell ’25, join the ranks of NMH alumni.

“All of us have various communities that we are connected to throughout our lives,” said Mariah, who chaired the NMH Board of Trustees from 2018 to 2024. “We hope that each and every one of you has similar opportunities as Sam and I have had to go on your own explorations of goodness — as individuals, and hopefully for many of you, through a lifetime of NMH friendships and connections to this school.”

She challenged the Class of 2025 to utilize the skills, talents, and work ethic they cultivated at NMH to make a positive impact wherever they find themselves.

“Our world has enough people sitting on the sidelines; [it] needs you to be an engaged and active community member,” Mariah said. “It’s when we are together in community that we learn from each other, when we have what a friend of mine calls ‘peak human experiences.’ We build community with our actions, our human experiences, and by sharing our stories.”

Sam Calagione drew laughs by recounting the lighthearted mischief that eventually led to his dismissal from the school in his senior year but emphasized the enduring lessons that experience taught him.

“NMH is the most important community I have ever belonged to,” he said. “It’s where I met the love of my life and business partner Mariah and where I learned who I was as a teenager and what kind of an adult I wanted to some day become.”

Sam noted the influence his time at NMH had on his business ventures and the lasting friendships he forged with people who lead in all walks of life.

“I am so excited for each of you, Class of 2025, as you embark on your own adult journeys nourished by the unparalleled community that is Northfield Mount Hermon,” he said. “The best of this school is now coursing through your heads, your hearts, and your hands, like the sweet sap running through the maple trees across this campus. Go forth and wield your arrows with grace and dignity.”

Following the presentation of diplomas to the senior class, longtime trustee Josephine Hart ’74 welcomed the new graduates to the NMH alumni network. Hart shared memories from her own graduation day and assigned them one final task on behalf of the school.

“As members of this community, I want you to promise that you will live up to the life and defining purpose of this institution,” Hart said. “That you will take with you the head, heart, and hand and that you will leave thinking about ways that you can continue to contribute to this community with your talents, your treasures, and your time, as Sam and Mariah and so many other people have in the past.”

Recognition Assembly

The Commencement ceremony capped off an exciting weekend for the Class of 2025, starting with the announcement of senior awards at the annual Recognition Assembly on May 23.

The ceremony was highlighted by an address by class salutatorian Jasper Neff. In her remarks, Neff meditated on the ideas of growth and achievement, noting that “perhaps success is not just about checking off boxes.

“It’s easy to recognize growth when it leads to an outcome — better grades, bigger roles, an award at your senior ceremony,” Neff said. “But often, the less obvious growth, the kind that shapes our character, enriches our lives the most.”

She credited NMH with creating space for students to find those subtle moments of personal growth amid the normal assortment of academic and athletic milestones and accolades.

“As we relish these final moments with each other, think about all the ways we’ve changed,” said Neff. “Let us keep discovering new things about ourselves, take pride in what we find, and allow these discoveries to support our perseverance through failure. May our greatest milestones be the quiet growth that makes us kinder, braver, and committed to making the world a better place.”

The assembly included the announcement of the winner of the Cambridge Prize, NMH’s most prestigious senior award. Established in 1887 by students from England’s University of Cambridge, the prize recognizes an outstanding member of the graduating class. 

This year’s Cambridge Prize went to Henry Castillo ’25. Reflecting on the award after the ceremony, Castillo was quick to credit the many people who influenced his time at NMH.

“I was honestly expecting someone else to get it,” said Castillo. “I was thinking of all the people here that deserve it — how everyone here has affected my life, how my development went along because of their work and effort as well as mine. Really, I feel like I couldn't have gotten it without them as well.”

[See the complete list of senior award winners in the list below this article.] 

Baccalaureate Service

Festivities continued on Saturday, when seniors, faculty, and their families gathered in Memorial Chapel for the 2025 Baccalaureate Service.

The ceremony featured musical performances by NMH students and staff and remarks from NMH’s chaplain, the Rev. Lee-Ellen Strawn, as well as a celebration of eight staff and faculty members retiring this spring:

• Diane Arena, P’08, ’11, ’14, ’16
• Mary Hefner, P’06, ’08, ’11
• Nate Hemphill, P’11, ’14
• Ted Kenyon, P’17, ’20, ’23
• Bill Roberts
• Margaret van Baaren, P’16, ’18, ’21
• Lisa Yates, P’11, ’13
• Mark Yates, P’11, ’13

Hefner offered reflections on her 40-year career at NMH during a moment of silence, recounting many mailroom chats, dining hall meals, and shared memories. She compared these moments to the biological function of interstitial fluids in the human body.

“Interstitial fluid is your everyday support; it's your unsung hero,” Hefner said. “It works without an audience; it works without applause. It's the uncelebrated, unnoticed background support that paves the way for the big things.

“As you think back on how you spent your time at NMH and wonder how to set your course for the future, I say, find your people,” she advised the Class of 2025. “Find your unsung heroes, find life-affirming small acts that let you be you. Tend to your interstitial fluids and paths of possibility will be open.”

The highlight of the Baccalaureate Service was the valedictory address, delivered by Rose Wu. Wu spoke of the bittersweet feelings that come with graduation.

“I often hear people say ‘no regrets,’” Wu said. “However, a phrase my mom says to me surfaces when I hear [those words]: ‘Sometimes a trace of regret is good to have.’ My regrets here remind me of the changes I want to make in the future ... to carry with me one of the greatest lessons NMH has taught me, to trust myself.”

Recounting the moments that challenged her and those that brought her joy during her time at NMH, Wu noted that it is the blend of emotions a place evokes that makes it meaningful in one’s life.

“This hill, along with all its memories, will always be a place of softness, one that I will remember with warmth and gratitude,” she said. “I hope NMH will be a tender spot in all of our hearts, and we can all look back at our time here and feel joy, courage, and kindness and carry this tenderness in us wherever we go.”

Final Words

As Commencement weekend drew to a close, several students and faculty members paused to offer a few final words of reflection and advice.

“Stick to your true self and don't forget that you are loved and appreciated for who you are at your core,” said dance teacher and Performing Arts Department Chair Gretel Schatz. “Remember all the things that you've received because of other people's generosity and share it, wherever you go.”

Nielsen Kasser ’25 noted the change in perspective he experienced between his first days at NMH as a sophomore and his last days as a senior.

“Things that mattered to me back then really don't matter as much,” Kasser said. “I don't know if that's a maturity thing or just lived experience, but I feel like I have a better sense of what matters and how things actually will affect me instead of just things that seem important at the time.”

Thinking back on the days of reflection and celebration, music teacher Steven Bathory-Peeler offered the following sentiment: “So many people have said so many things — many helpful things, certainly. But at a certain point, you have to just internalize it all and be your own guide. Listen for it, and follow that voice.”

Watching the Class of 2025 walk from the Commencement tent into the arms of their families and friends, their footsteps following 141 graduating classes before them, it was the words of NMH founder D.L. Moody, as shared by Sam Calagione during his Commencement speech, that seemed to reverberate through the laughter, tears, and shouts of excitement that filled the air over Mount Hermon: “The work is sweeter now than ever, and I think I have some streams started that will flow on forever. What a joy to be in the harvest field and have a hand in God‘s work.”

Photos by Matthew Cavanaugh Photography.

See more photos from the 142nd Commencement ceremony, Baccalaureate Service, Recognition Ceremony, and Commencement weekend on Flickr.

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The following prizes were awarded during the 2025 Recognition Assembly to seniors who displayed excellence in academics, contributions to campus life, and overall impact on the NMH community.

• The Appley Award: Isabelle Eaton-Neubert ’25
• The Bannwart Choir Prize: Hezhen Skylar Tian ’25, Keona Burch ’25
• The Baxter Prize in Classics: Christie Wang ’25
• The Frank Stanley Beveridge Award: Sonam Drema ’25
• The C. Russell Bragg Memorial Prize in Environmental Studies: Maeve Tholen ’25
• The C. Russell Bragg Memorial Prize in Social Science: Mia Pace ’25
• The Frank and Alice Chutter Memorial Award: Gabriella Fernandez ’25
• The Marshall E. Climan Award: Amida Vongvasin ’25
• The Albert C. Clough Award: Max Golosovker ’25
• The Jo Dorchester Award: Grace Bird ’25
• The Edward and William Rhodes Prize in Economics: Lixian Stella Zhou ’25
• The David Garbose Memorial Award: Riley Newport ’25
• The Florence Chapman Haslun Prize: Henry Castillo ’25
• The Head of School Award: Jasper Neff ’25, Katalin Mazansky ’25, Sacharis Lipton-Ferguson ’25, Unandi Lungu ’25, Yu Hei Kelvin Cheung ’25
• The Harriet Cutler Heiser Memorial Award: Mia Voutsinas ’25
• The Howard and Margaret Jones Farm Award: Nathaniel Johnston ’25
• The Marie Hood Award: Fiona Cutchins ’25
• The Henry R. Huntting Literary Prize: Claire Takeuchi ’25, Mia Pace ’25
• The Ralph E. Jillson Award: Alexander Goldman ’25
• The Thora E. Johnson Award: Elianna Umana Kimura ’25
• The John O. Mehrkens Award: Sophie Cohen ’25
• The Joseph T. Elliott Jr. Prize in Music: Brooke Hindinger ’25
• The Kinmay Tang Award: Isabelle Eaton-Neubert ’25
• The Laubach Family Award: Soren Anderson-Flynn ’25
• The Elizabeth Leyden ’22 Music Award: Christie Wang ’25, Nielsen Kasser ’25
• The Proctor Publications Prize: Soren Anderson-Flynn ’25
• The Michael Antonio Memorial Award: Grace Minihane ’25
• The Robert P. Weis Mathematics Prize: Finn Johnston ’25
• The Mcburney Work Hour Prize: Mohammed Khalid Mohammed Al Salhi ’25
• The Mary Ellen Peller Memorial Award: Franly Lamar Hernandez ’25
• The Shaffer - Mehrkens Religious Studies Award: Asher Jackson ’25
• The Newman Family Award: Patience Beasley ’25
• The Nettie M. Johnson Memorial Award: Ava Reitz-Bouren ’25
• The NMH Alumni Association Award: Wyatt Amos ’25
• The Thompson Art Prize: Franly Lamar Hernandez ’25
• The Piscuskas Day Student Prize: Magdalene Provencal ’25
• Vitold Piscuskas Sportsmanship Award: Zachary Wells ’25
• The Arthur D. Platt Mathematics Award: Hezhen Skylar Tian ’25
• The Art Purchase Prize: Xiao Xuan Rose Wu ’25
• The Rhode Island School of Design Annual Art Award: Lyric Thomas ’25
• The Lynde Award for Excellence in Advanced Physics: Supriya Chatterjee ’25
• The NMH Resident Leader Award: Brooke Hindinger ’25, Zachary Wells ’25
• The Gordon Paul Smith Prize for Excellence in History or Social Sciences: Mohammed Khalid Mohammed Al Salhi ’25
• The Joseph Allen Art Prize: Grady Miller-Foulk ’25
• The Etta May Schweiss Prize: Sophie Cohen ’25
• The Richard H. Valentine Award: Kaia Swamp ’25, Ryan Choi ’25
• The Vivian Dandridge White Prize: Milan Blanton ’25
• The Robert Cade Wilson Scholar Award: Keona Burch ’25
• The David Michael Walker Prize in Music: Hezhen Skylar Tian ’25
• The Alice B. and John E. Baldwin Award: Claire Melican ’25
• The Douglas A. Jones Award: Amida Vongvasin ’25
• The Prize in 3-Dimensional Art: Isabella Valdevit ’25
• The William A. Knipe International Programs Award: Sonam Drema ’25
• The NMH Dance Prize: Isabelle Eaton-Neubert ’25
• The Viva Faye Richardson Piano Award: Khanh Trinh Gia Nguyen ’25
• The Phyllis Tournier Spanish Prize: Sooan Ellie Kim ’25