Reflections on Personal Formation: Dublin School’s 2026 Convocation Speeches

On Sunday, September 6, the Dublin School community gathered to kick off the academic year with our annual Convocation ceremony. The night began with a Community Dinner in the Brett Smith Dining Commons, followed by students’ procession across campus into the Louise Shonk Kelly Recital Hall. There, students heard from two of their peers — Drew D. ‘27 and Rayna Y. ‘27 — and two faculty members — Sarah Doenmez, Associate Head of School for Academics, and Charles Latham, Jr. Award winner Aidan Tierney, Science Teacher. Ellie K. ‘28 and Ace A. ‘28 both played piano during the event.

Though each speaker addressed the crowd from their own unique perspective, there was a common theme tying them all together — formation. All four speeches referenced the power that our lived experiences have to shape our personalities, reframe our outlook, and guide us in future decisions.

Ms. Doenmez opened the evening by reminding attendees of the occasion: “Tonight, we gather to celebrate the undertaking we are about to begin collectively and individually: our academic year. Your education. The education of each one of you, and of everyone in this room. We are all learners no matter where we are in life,” she shared.

She continued by discussing the importance of academics through the lens of language. Language allows us to connect with others, express ideas and feelings, advocate for ourselves and others, and so much more, as Ms. Doenmez said.

“The words we use are powerful, and your ability to use language with precision, nuance and clarity matters.”

Ms. Doenmez also spoke about the arduous journey of learning a language other than your native tongue, and how it “opens up possibilities for you to see new aspects of the world… You develop insight and empathy, and perspective on your own culture as well.”

She touched on the language of Mathematics, and how each academic field has its own language of sorts. She discussed AI and its influence on education, and how Dublin School teachers will be helping students build skills that are uniquely human. Through each metaphor and reference, Ms. Doenmez drove home the incredible value of education — especially a Dublin School education — and how it forms the people that we become. 

“The privilege and work of studying and gaining knowledge expands your horizons, allows you to become an active contributor to the world, and a deeper and freer person. When done with the magic of Dublin School, academics are intense, inspiring, challenging, joyful, rigorous, and creative.”

After framing this positive and open-minded mentality to kick off the year, Ms. Doenmez welcomed Drew D. ‘27 to the microphone.

Drew opened by confessing his habit of getting lost — “And it's not the kind of lost where I don't know where I am; it's the kind of lost where I don't know how I got there,” he shared. 

He told two stories of getting lost in this way during his time at Dublin School — once while descending Mount Monadnock on Mountain Day, and once during a spring trip to Norway — and discussed how his Dublin education helped him work through each situation.

Drew focused on the values of resilience, confidence, and questioning, which he says have been thoroughly instilled in him throughout his time at Dublin. For example, take the story of his first season trying Nordic skiing.

“At first, it was hard. And then, it was hard. And then, it was still hard. But then, it got easier. I was picking up the sport little by little and gaining ground… I gained confidence in myself as a person and as an athlete… I even gained confidence that I could get up after my many, many falls. This confidence then carried into the classroom, because if I could trip and fall halfway down a hill, then I could get a question wrong and be fine, right?”

Drew also shared how his time at Dublin has made him more curious, and more comfortable asking questions. He passed along a piece of advice that his dad gave to him: say yes to every opportunity. The most recent opportunity that Drew said yes to was a local Contra Dance with some of his peers. Though he was reluctant to go at first, he wound up having an incredible time.

To close, Drew shared some big-picture thoughts on his high school experience and everything it has taught him.

“When I came in freshman year, I thought my job was to get from my first day to graduation, and it was going to be a straight line. I now realize that you can’t go from point to point without some detours. You can’t plan high school on a map, but you can set yourself up for success.”

His four years at Dublin have formed Drew into someone who is confident navigating the unknown, rerouting in the face of detours, and gaining knowledge through questioning and curiosity. 

Speaking of questions, Drew handed the microphone off to Rayna Y. ‘27, who opened her talk with a question: “Why do we learn, and what do we benefit from learning?”

Rayna said that her first-grade self and her current-day self would answer this question very differently. A younger Rayna would have said, “to gain knowledge and get good grades on exams.” Now, however, she has a different perspective.

“I can proudly say that I love learning, because I get from it not only the knowledge itself, but also the pride for myself and the feeling that I’m gaining a better understanding of everything around me and the world I live in.”

Rayna shared that learning new things and expanding her horizons helps her feel more connected to the world around her. When learning gets hard, she reminds herself how proud she will be when the knowledge that she’s seeking is unlocked, and it helps her push through. This love and drive for learning developed during Rayna’s time here at Dublin, she says. 

Here on campus, she said, “Learning doesn’t only happen in classes; it can happen anywhere. Moving from big city Beijing to here in Dublin was very challenging, but it also gave me a chance to learn about a place that I wasn’t familiar with before. Walking on campus, I learn about the weather, the plants, the animals, and everything on campus, which are all so different from where I came from. I learn from my classmates the cultures from different countries, what they do, what they don’t do, and how people of the same age growing up in different environments can be so different from each other. These are all chances of learning, in every moment of life, and it is one of the best things about living somewhere distant from where you grow up.”

Rayna also spoke about theatre — a passion she had not discovered until she joined the Dublin Theatre Group her sophomore year. She surprised herself with how quickly she became comfortable on stage, even overcoming some stage fright to sing two solo lines in her first year in the program.

Overall, Rayna’s biggest takeaway from her time here at Dublin is how much she is capable of.

“I used to be afraid of many things: speaking English, taking new classes, meeting new people, and stepping on the stage. But I have a passion for learning new things, and I have this trust for myself that I can do anything as long as I go for it,” she shared.

Rayna’s experiences here at Dublin have formed her into someone who is confident trying new things, has a passion for learning new things, and pushes past her comfort zone. She closed her speech by encouraging her peers to take the same chances that she did, compelling them to be confident in pursuing formative experiences. Both Rayna and Drew were celebrated with thunderous applause for their openness, vulnerability and wisdom.

Finally, Aidan Tierney stepped up to the podium with the evening’s final speech. He shared, in his words, “a letter of gratitude to the many people who guided me into a life full of wonder and passion.” It doesn’t get much more formative than that!

Mr. Tierney spoke about a wide variety of people and relationships who have helped shape the person that he is today. He began with his mother, who passed her love for baking down to him. He also spoke of Mrs. Robson, his first ever teacher, and how her patience through his speech impediment gave him the confidence to keep trying.

He shared how Mr. Swarbrick, one of his high school English teachers, used accents while reading to keep students (including Mr. Tierney himself) engaged and invested in the classics they were assigned. His sister, Siobhan, lent him books that prompted him to ask big-picture questions and inspired his love of Science Fiction. His fifth-grade teacher led a science experiment all about tomato sauce (or ketchup, for us Americans) that made a lifelong impact. The list goes on and on.

“The words of encouragement and the reassurance that science is the process of learning from trial and error is burned in my heart. How exciting it is to know that our mistakes are lessons to guide us forward,” Mr. Tierney said of the experiment. 

Mr. Tierney then dove into some of his post-education experiences, such as thru-hiking the Appalachian trail (where he met his husband, Sean Speckin — also a Dublin School faculty member), working as a camp counselor, and completing nine 66-mile canoe trips along the Delaware river. 

While working at camp, Mr. Tierney crossed paths with a camper who was having a tough time on a group hike. He was too hot, it was too buggy, and he wasn’t having a good time. By the end of the hike, however, his tune had changed.

“Once we’d descended the ridgeline, showered, and camped out by the river, he shared how proud he was of himself for completing the trail. This was the first time I’d ever seen another human go through so much and to have had a revelation about themselves. He sparked a deep-seated passion in me to aspire to be the best educator and supporter I could. It was never where I expected my life to go, but each new curiosity led to passion, and new experiences.”

All of these formative relationships and experiences guided Mr. Tierney to where he is today. He shared, “Through the joys of camp work, education and hiking long trails, we have found ourselves as part of the Dublin Community, where we overcome challenges, experience growth, and let our curiosities roam free on the hillside.”

In closing, Mr. Tierney reminded students that inspiration is all around them, and encouraged them to try new things — maybe even Beans on Toast!

Each of our Convocation speakers shared the truth of who they are at their deepest core, and the journeys that formed them into those people. Ms. Doenmez spoke of the formative power of language, and how Dublin School equips students to use language and other skills to forge their academic futures. Drew D. ‘27 spoke of getting lost and finding yourself. Rayna Y. ‘27 shared how she has unlocked a wealth of knowledge about her surroundings and herself here at Dublin, and Mr. Tierney shared all of the impactful relationships that have led him to this point.

Each speaker told their own story, in their own way, but led listeners to the same conclusion: you will have countless experiences that have the potential to shape your future — especially while you’re here at Dublin School. Don’t miss the opportunity to take advantage of those experiences, and never turn down the chance to learn something new.

Thank you to each of our speakers, and to Ellie K. ‘28 and Ace A. ‘28 for your beautiful music. This was the perfect way to kick off our academic year, and we can’t wait to see all of the formative experiences that this year holds.