2022 Commencement Photo Gallery

Following the traditional “Then and Now” slideshow, Senior Class Speaker Shravya Pant ’22 said that this year’s school t-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “House, Assignment, Lab, Repeat” was her favorite piece of Dalton apparel. Of these three Dalton Plan tenets, Shravya said that House and the community it fostered were particularly meaningful to her. Shravya said that House opened her mind to her fellow students’ character and helped members of the Class of 2022 find community within their grade. 

Commencement Speaker Joe Scarborough, co-host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and best-selling author, said that his daughter, Kate, who attended Dalton’s First Program, would’ve been in the Class of 2022 if they hadn’t relocated. He said that Kate is a better student and person because of her time at Dalton. Joe went on to say that as a young congressman, he followed his hero Bobby Kennedy’s directive to question initial assumptions. He encouraged the Class to try to understand others, learn about their worldviews, show intellectual grace, and find common ground. Joe also encouraged the Class of 2022 to be open to dialectical thinking, where two things can be true at the same time, and work to find the middle path of seemingly impossible problems.

In her remarks, Interim Head of School Ellen C. Stein acknowledged that the Class of ’22 had witnessed many defining moments including Covid, race riots, and a contentious election. And while this group of students missed out on a lot during the lockdown, she noted that they returned to school with energy and enthusiasm; they were fully engaged, both curricularly and extracurricularly, and made an impact on the community. Ellen reminded the Class of 2022 that community is more than accomplishments: A community allows its members to express opinions without being judged. She encouraged this class to listen to the other side, probe both sides of the argument, engage in multiple perspectives, and be respectful of each other. 

An especially poignant moment was a beautiful student rendition of the Electric Light Orchestra’s song “Mr. Blue Sky” in memory of Armando Zimmerman ’22.

After moving their tassel from right to left, singing “The Dalton School Song”, and a spirited mortarboard toss, the Class of 2022 officially became Dalton graduates.