Title
Commencement Address to the Class of 2020 / Tad Roach
Date
June
8
2022
Decade
2020s
Notes
Due to COVID-19, the Class of 2020 gathered at the School for a special graduation celebration in June of 2022. At the invitation of Head of School Joy McGrath, previous Headmaster Tad Roach returned to give the commencement address to the Class.
Tad describes the challenges of the spring of 2020 brought on by the pandemic, and the social justice challenges Americans faced over the two years since. Tad discusses how problems of racial and economic disparity can only be addressed when facing them head on, eyes opened, and when seen with humanity for all of the world's citizens. Tad quotes Toni Morrison, and He speaks of the work of Bryan Stevenson and Paul Farmer. He calls for St. Andreans to promise "to live more humane and compassionate lives" and to not limit "your humanity to your St. Andrew's colleagues or community circle.... [M]ake yourself a witness not to the reality and pain and tragedy others bear daily. And then accompany others to a far better space."
Tad describes the challenges of the spring of 2020 brought on by the pandemic, and the social justice challenges Americans faced over the two years since. Tad discusses how problems of racial and economic disparity can only be addressed when facing them head on, eyes opened, and when seen with humanity for all of the world's citizens. Tad quotes Toni Morrison, and He speaks of the work of Bryan Stevenson and Paul Farmer. He calls for St. Andreans to promise "to live more humane and compassionate lives" and to not limit "your humanity to your St. Andrew's colleagues or community circle.... [M]ake yourself a witness not to the reality and pain and tragedy others bear daily. And then accompany others to a far better space."