Friends, family, faculty, and most importantly, the Class of 2025 — it is my pleasure to welcome you all to this year’s Wilton High School graduation. Before I begin, on behalf of our class, I would like to thank those who made this moment, and so many others possible: our custodians and administrators (who have worked so hard to make our dreams of an outdoor ceremony come true). Our counselors, teachers, and parents.
There’s a word you’ve probably never heard before — onism. It comes from the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, and it describes a feeling many of us have at some
point: the awareness that we can’t experience everything. We’ll only live one life,
on one path, in one timeline.
But here’s the thing: maybe onism isn’t something that limits us. Maybe it’s what makes our time here so beautiful. Because if we could live every life, see every place, and know every story — what would make life special?
Over these last four years — and even before — something extraordinary unfolded. While each of us was living just one life, side by side, we came to know the rhythm of many. Through one another, we didn’t just witness different paths — we felt them. And we lived them, too. We may not have been the quarterback, but when the crowd erupted after beating Ridgefield on Homecoming Night, we felt the same rush. We may not have played ‘Edward Bloom’ in Big Fish, but when we watched that final scene in the Clune Center, our eyes welled up just the same. We’ve laughed at the same jokes, cried over the same calc tests, and celebrated the same milestones.
Through friendships, dance parties in the H, group projects, and even just saying, “Hi” in the hall, we’ve been part of each other’s story. Our lives may be singular, but they are deeply, irreversibly connected.
As we step into what comes next, that idea doesn’t have to end. If there’s one thing to carry forward, it’s this: stay connected. Keep showing up in other people’s lives. Keep sharing your stories and listening to theirs. Because even if we can’t live every life, we can still feel the richness of many.
And one day, when we hear about a fellow classmate chasing a dream, making a discovery, or simply navigating life, a part of us will be with them. Because we are all inextricably linked. We carry pieces of each other — memories, moments, and shared beginnings that time and distance can’t erase.
So yes, we each get one wild and precious life. But if we keep our hearts and minds open — if we stay connected — then maybe, just maybe, that’s more than enough.
Thank you all for giving me a life fuller than just my own.
Congratulations, Class of 2025. We did it!