The beauty they carry

Harpeth Hall commencement celebrates the Class of 2025

On the night of commencement, before the diplomas were passed out and the library steps descended, Head of School Jess Hill looked out at Harpeth Hall’s graduating seniors and imparted one final piece of knowledge.

“Embrace beauty,” Mrs. Hill told them. “Not that kind of beauty. Not the fleeting kind, but rather the kind of beauty that is timeless.”

The beauty uncovered in an art gallery, gleaned through greater understanding in a lecture hall, felt in uncontrollable giggles with new friends, embraced in the aha moments of discovery.

“You will find it in different places,” she said. “Cling to it.”

And that evening, under the gently reaching canopy of green branches on the Ann Teaff Quadrangle, that beauty was everywhere. It was in the pride of parents holding back tears. In the rustle of white dresses. In the knowing that this was both an ending and a new beginning.

Surrounded by all who loved them and taught them, the 100 young women of the Class of 2025 sat poised and ready — not just to receive a diploma but to carry forward the questions they had dared to ask, shaped by years of academic curiosity and resilience, connected by sisterhood, and defined, above all, by an indefatigable spirit and enduring kindness.

“This place has blessed us immeasurably — through forever friendships, expanding our knowledge, inspiring our imaginations, encouraging our unique voices, and championing our resilience,” senior Elise Mason said in her opening reflections at graduation.

“Although we love this place — from the magnolia trees on Souby Lawn, to the sports fields, to the theater stage, the library, the lunchroom, and the Senior House — we are ready to take on the world. Harpeth Hall has more than prepared us.”

The readiness of the senior class is evident in their achievements: championship titles in lacrosse and riflery, national and international competitions in Ethics Bowl and robotics, and countless accolades in arts, writing, and performance. Sixteen seniors will compete in college athletics next year and eight were admitted to their major of choice through auditions or artistic portfolios. In the fall, they will attend 61 colleges across 36 states and four countries.

But perhaps their greatest strength is not what they accomplished, but how they carried themselves — with confidence, integrity, and, as Elise put it, courageous kindness.

“If you’ve ever worried about hope for this world, that hope is sitting right before me,” Elise said. “As I look out, I see future neuroscientists, mathematicians, doctors, judges, musicians, poets, philosophers, presidents, and CEOs. We are fearless, exceedingly bright, and unafraid to be knocked down — because we will always get back up again.

“But most importantly,” Elise added, “the Class of 2025 is known for our kindness.”

And, before their final ascent of Souby Lawn, senior Jori Winfrey, who was chosen by her peers as the class speaker, brought the seniors’ journey to a close with a soundtrack of their years together.

“Music speaks when words fall short,” Jori said, and then, she offered one final playlist for the Class of 2025. Beginning with the lightness of adolescence as expressed in Zac Brown Band’s “Free,” moving through the strength of friendships that brought them “Through the Dark” of the pandemic, and arriving at the threshold of upper school when, in the words of Taylor Swift, “Everything has Changed.”

Each track described the moments and melodies that defined their time together at Harpeth Hall. The “wild and fluorescent” moments of sophomore year, the “Landslide” of junior year, and love described by Adele that they worked so hard to make each other feel.

“As seniors, we’ve poured love into every corner of this school,” Jori said, “and tried to leave it better, greater, and more beautiful than it was handed to us.”

And while together these songs made a beautiful playlist — the type of beauty Ms. Hill inspired them each to embrace and carry forward — there was yet one more song to add that could not be streamed. A melody that could be heard only on campus.

“For me, Harpeth Hall has always been its own song,” Jori said. “And it’s my favorite. It’s the sound of varsity jackets swishing. It’s the squeals of 5th graders on Convocation Day. It’s the cadence of the laughter that fills each classroom. It’s the tune of our voices singing the alma mater for the last time and squeezing each other tight.

“Being a Harpeth Hall girl,” Jori continued, “is truly transcendent. This place touches your soul and makes us who we are. To be a Harpeth Hall girl means that we are bonded for life. We’ve grown together and found ourselves in one another. And, as we leave here, we know that we are forever indebted to this place. It gave us the one thing that we will need most in our lives: each other.

“It has been a proud privilege to sing with each of you, and I only wish that I could do it forever.”