186 seniors graduated from the upper school during a ceremony at the Mountain Winery involving music, speeches from administration, an address by valedictorian Samyukta “Samyu” Yagati (‘15) and a keynote speech from McClatchy foreign affairs correspondent Hannah Allam.

Audience members entered seats throughout the winery while the Harker Chamber Orchestra played prelude music under the direction of conductor Chris Florio. As the ceremony began at 9 a.m., the Class of 2015 clad in their caps and gowns processed into their seats, followed by the similarly dressed faculty members. The Chamber Orchestra played “Pomp & Circumstance” by Elgar while the students and teachers walked.

Following the processional, the 2015 Graduation Chorus, involving members from Bel Canto, Cantilena, Camerata and Downbeat, conducted by Susan Nace performed the Star-Spangled Banner. Upper School division head Butch Keller gave a brief welcome address to start the series of speeches that followed. He also introduced Samyu.

“Sometimes, perceptions can be an anchor that weighs you down,” Keller said. “I do not believe that is the case about this year’s valedictorian. The path to today has come through hard work and perseverance.”

Samyu’s speech discussed how the choices one makes defines oneself far more than any other attribute. She opened with a “Harry Potter” quote: “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities,” before going on to discuss the tradeoffs that she and other students have made within high school.

“We’ve all been making these trade-offs, even if we’ve been choosing different things,” she said in her speech. “We’ve gained independence by bits and pieces. At the same time, we are beginning to look for a purpose that will narrow our choices. Right now, we’re beginning to understand the power of conscious, deliberate choice.”

Nephele Troullinos (‘15) mentioned that Samyu’s address “brought her to tears.”

“When she talked about the friends she’d made through activities, I thought about how many of my closest friends today were through speech and art,” Troullinos said.

The Graduation Chorus followed Samyu’s speech with a rendition of “Our Time” by Stephen Sondheim, this time directed by Jennifer Sandusky and accompanied by Serena Wang (‘15).

“I loved being a part of the graduation ceremony, especially singing together with the seniors for the last time,” Janet Lee (11), member of the Graduation Chorus, said. “Also, I love how we were seated so close to the stage.”

Upper School Head of Academics Jennifer Gargano introduced the next speaker, Hannah Allam, foreign affairs correspondent for McClatchy Newspapers.

Between 2003 and 2006, Allam covered the Iraq War on the ground, serving as the Baghdad bureau chief. She received the Journalism Excellence Award in 2004 from American media company Knight Ridder, as well as Journalist of the Year Award in 2004 from the Association of Black Journalists.

Allam’s speech delivered sage life advice to the graduating class, which she related back to her experiences in war zones in the Middle East.

“You will fail some days. You will blow it from time to time, and that, too, is okay,” she said in her speech. “We’re human, and those are the odds. Nobody is perfect all the time, although, Harker students, you come closer than most. In my world of journalism, it’s a terrible thing to get scooped by a rival publication. But, it keeps you humble. It lights a fire underneath you. It makes you pledge that next time, you’ll work harder and smarter.”

She emphasized the importance of asking for help.

“No matter how big or small an ordeal you face, you’ll remember that feeling, that feeling of someone having your back when things got rough,” she said. “And it will make you the kind of person to lend a hand when life deals a blow to someone else.”

Allam expressed gratitude for the opportunity of speaking at graduation, as the core values espoused by Harker align with many that she holds dear in her work as a journalist.

“I’ve won plenty of awards for my work, none felt as sweet as being with you here today. Today, you’re getting diplomas. To me, this is a Pulitzer prize,” she said to applause from the audience.

Many audience members remarked that they enjoyed Allam’s speech.

“It was nostalgic,” Kiran Vodrahalli (‘11), whose brother Kailas Vodrahalli (‘15) graduated today, said of the ceremony. “I thought [Allam] did an excellent job with her speech. It felt very honest and heartfelt.”

After Allam’s speech, Head of School Christopher Nikoloff gave a farewell speech to the graduating class, based off of the theme of “Let’s Get Philosophical,” a title parodying the 80’s song “Let’s Get Physical” by Olivia Newton-John.

His speech took on a playfully deprecating tone as he referred to his background as a philosophy minor at Boston University, but the address sobered quickly as he advised the Class of 2015 not to take life too seriously.

Next, Nikoloff, Keller and senior class dean Diana Moss awarded diplomas to the graduating class. Moss announced each student’s name while they shook Nikoloff’s hand, received a diploma from him and posed for a quick picture on stage.

Richard Gu (‘15) found the experiences of before and after the ceremony to be just as compelling as the ceremony itself.

“My favorite part had to be the hundreds of pictures I took with my friends both before and after, because I hate formality, and being able to just smile and joke around was really fun,” he said.

To close the Graduation Exercises, Nikoloff and Gargano released doves into the air, which symbolized the Class of 2015 leaving the nest. This was followed by the recessional.

Gallery • 5 Photos

Jonathan Dai

Christopher Nikoloff gives a philosophy themed speech to close the graduation ceremony. 186 seniors graduated from the upper school today.