The following is excerpted from today’s welcome comments at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School’s 2025 Commencement ceremony.

As we begin to celebrate our graduates, I’d like to talk about the concept of spontaneous tears—those times when we are overcome with emotion. Over the course of this spring, I've had the opportunity to tease some colleagues about their inability to make it through a speech—whether it be Mr. Schleif praising a graduating senior or Mr. Schaefer extolling a retiring faculty member.

It has happened to me twice in my adult life. The first time was several years ago. I was traveling by myself and had a long layover in Barcelona. I decided to leave the airport and visit Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudi’s masterpiece. For those who are unfamiliar, Sagrada Familia is a church designed by Gaudi combining elements of Gothic Revival, Art Nouveau, and Modernista architecture, and remains the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world.

While I had always wanted to visit, I was completely unprepared for my reaction when I walked inside. I am not the most religious guy, and I’m not Catholic. And I wouldn’t even claim to be a big fan of architecture. I don’t know what it was, but when I walked inside and looked around, the sun shining prismatically through the stained-glass windows, I found myself tearing up.

The other time was more recent—maybe a month ago. I have been a huge Paul Simon fan for a long time and had the opportunity to see him in concert. The evening was wonderful, and I couldn’t help but think about how at 84 years old he was there in front of me on stage doing what he loves. He started singing “Graceland,” and in the middle of the song, I had tears in my eyes.

All of this returned to me during Baccalaureate yesterday afternoon when Lucas ‘25 sang “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” which, of course, is a Simon and Garfunkel classic. Though there were no tears yesterday, I thought to myself, what is it that makes Paul Simon so special? What is it that makes Antoni Gaudí so special?

The answer is simple: both are singular. They stand out among their peers because of their obsessive commitment to their work. It's because they dedicated themselves to test boundaries, to bring disparate elements together in unique ways. To never give up. To do something better.

What ties this all in for me is that when I think about you as a class, I think of you also as individuals. I see singular opportunities in every one of you. I see the Shattuck-St. Mary’s Class of 2025 is filled with potential—the potential to keep growing, striving, and learning.

So, my hope, my goal, and my challenge for the Class of 2025 is this: I want you to be remarkable. I want you to be true to yourselves. And I want you to be singular. I can guarantee that if you do that, you will cause people spontaneous tears at some point in your lifetime.

And so, to each one of you, I say, “Congratulations!” Enjoy this day and good luck. We will be following you well into your future.