The Class of 2026 are "Almost Alumnae"

Looking out at her classmates and their mothers and friends at the annual Almost Alumnae ceremony, senior Shelby Tompkins was reminded of a line from William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 104.”

“To me, fair friend, you never can be old,
For as you were when first your eye I eyed 
Such seems your beauty still.”

“I interpret this particular sonnet as saying how, even though much time has passed, the love expressed from the beginning is still apparent as ever for the [recipient] of these words,” Shelby said. “And to me, this captures just how I feel about Harpeth Hall and all of you sitting before me. A place and people I will never lose love for.”

For nearly 75 years, this place beloved  has been a home for girls to find their passions, find their confidence, and find themselves. 

But Harpeth Hall is more than just a place. 

Every time Collins Weaver Hooper ‘88 — alumna, parent of three Honeybears, former board of trustees member, past parents association president, and Harpeth Hall volunteer extraordinaire — returns to campus, she is reminded of this fact.

“Harpeth Hall is about the people. The women like you who spent their formative years here,” Ms. Hooper told the seniors as she shared her reflections during the luncheon. “And, I will tell you that this place and these people will welcome you back. ... There will always be opportunities to return to school, to see old friends, and make new ones. And if taken, those opportunities will enrich your lives.”

As graduates of Harpeth Hall, the Class of 2026 will join a network of more than 5,500 alumnae around the world. Wherever they go, they will carry with them the support, encouragement, and community of Harpeth Hall women. A shared love for this school will connect them for a lifetime and, hopefully, bring them back to Souby Lawn one day.

“There is a reason why we have 16 alumna mothers and 11 alumna grandmothers affiliated with [the Class of 2026],” Ms. Hooper said. “Each had experiences here that made them want their daughters and granddaughters to attend. They probably get teary when singing the Alma Mater, just like I do.”

In less than a month, the Class of 2026 will step into their roles as alumnae, leaving behind a legacy that will not soon be forgotten.

“As you move from this community to whatever community is lucky enough to inherit each of you next year, do not forget that your gifts, no matter what they are, are valuable and need to be shared,” Director of the Upper School Frances Fondren-Bales said.

She wanted the girls to know, too, that their absence will be felt. ”I have always loved how the French say it: instead of saying, ‘we will miss you,’ they say ‘you will be missing from us.’  Indeed, as you leave us, we will feel the loss of the gifts you have shared with us.”

And for Shelby — a talented thespian who has shone on stage throughout her years at Harpeth Hall — when she thinks about leaving Harpeth Hall this spring, it comes back to Shakespeare, and Juliet’s famous farewell to Romeo: “Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

“Our high school times are far from a tragedy, and yet still, to leave it feels like a melting pot of all the emotions,” she said. “As cringey and cliché as it sounds, we will always be Harpeth Hall girls, so accept it, own it, honor it, and use the blessing of connections that live in the past, present, and future. 

“I can’t wait to watch as we all become alumnae and take on this world with our Harpeth Hall magic.”