La Lumiere School celebrated its 50th commencement ceremony on Friday, May 26, on the La Lumiere campus in Marsch Gymnasium.
The class of 2017 included fifty-nine graduates who received a moving address delivered by commencement speaker, Fr. David T. Link. Fr. Link is Dean Emeritus of Notre Dame Law School and President Emeritus of the University of Notre Dame Australia. He has held a variety of prestigious positions including Senior Partner in a major law firm; President of the Center for Healing and the Law; Chaired Professor; Chief Academic Officer of St. Augustine University in South Africa; and Deputy Vice President of the University of St. Thomas. Currently he serves as prison chaplain at the Indiana State Prison.
Fr. Link’s message focused on the importance of becoming significant in life, rather than successful, and discovering life’s purpose. “You can make the choice to go beyond success and become significant,” he explained. “The most important choice you can make is about life’s purpose. Your life’s purpose is more about why you do things than about what you do. It’s about character and values. The road to significance is a lot rougher than the road to success. It turns out, it’s well worth it. I can’t tell you what your life’s purpose is, but I can tell you a few things about it. Your purpose is individual. It’s yours, not the same as mine, and it may not be the same as any of your classmates. You are on this earth for some special reason, but you don’t decide it. You discover it. You’ve got to be passionately involved with whatever your purpose is. It’s not enough to be sympathetic, empathetic, or supportive. It’s more important than that.”
Also speaking to her classmates was Head Prefect, Channing Scott, who encouraged the graduates to continue wishing and dreaming like when they were young children. “Today, for some, you are wishing and dreaming for bigger and better things. I challenge you to go out and try something completely different from your usual comfort zone ... you could just end up falling in love with it and create new wishes and dreams for yourself.”
Leading the ceremony was Head of School Adam Kronk who said, “Today we celebrate a simply amazing group of young women and men who join the proud ranks of five decades of La Lumiere alumni out there in the world representing the ideals of this place. You are the Light of the World.”
The School also awarded the following honors to outstanding seniors during the ceremony for distinguished achievement:
The Alumni Memorial Award: Zoe Elizabeth Surma, La Porte, Ind.
Trustees Award for Leadership Based on Character: Jenna Elham Rifai, Valparaiso, Ind.
Alan R. Hannan Unsung Hero Award: Lucy Anne Caplice, Michigan City, Ind.
The One of Us Award: Peyton MacKenzie Sutter, Chesterton, Ind.
Senior Award for Service to Younger Students: Shunzhang Li, China
Senior Award for Stellar Academic Performance: Zoe Elizabeth Surma, La Porte, Ind. and Stephanie Anne Zaccone, Michigan City, Ind.
Headmaster's Award for Growth and Distinction: Julia Saulė Goodman, La Porte, Ind. and Patrick Adam Jelinek, Western Springs, Ill.; Freyhja Ravencroft, Chicago, Ill.
James R. Moore Scholar Athlete Award: Lucy Anne Caplice, Michigan City, Ind. and John Everett Ruszkowski, Michigan City, Ind.
About La Lumiere School
La Lumiere School challenges and supports each of its 228 students to thrive—here on our wooded campus in La Porte, Indiana, an hour southeast of Chicago; in the colleges they pursue; and throughout their lives. We meet our freshmen where they are, carefully stretching them out of their comfort zones while maintaining an intentional, supportive environment. Graduation finds seniors who are well on their way to growing into the best versions of themselves, comfortable in their own skins yet hungry for the next challenge—students who have grown in character, scholarship, and faith, and who believe that they’re at the helm of their own journey. We are accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA). Learn more about La Lumiere School at lalumiere.org.