![Senior Speakers]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1665617336/suffieldacademyorg/hpckzrm3q8trnk4bacv2/20221010_ChapelHP.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1665617336/suffieldacademyorg/hpckzrm3q8trnk4bacv2/20221010_ChapelHP.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1665617336/suffieldacademyorg/hpckzrm3q8trnk4bacv2/20221010_ChapelHP.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1665617336/suffieldacademyorg/hpckzrm3q8trnk4bacv2/20221010_ChapelHP.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1665617336/suffieldacademyorg/hpckzrm3q8trnk4bacv2/20221010_ChapelHP.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1665617336/suffieldacademyorg/hpckzrm3q8trnk4bacv2/20221010_ChapelHP.jpg","width":2200}])
The 2022-2023 senior speaker series continued on October 10. It featured seven members of the Class of 2023: Emily Killoran, Kennedy Morris, Anna Ziegler, Connor Booth, Chase Stevens, Ellie Frisbie, and Mia Rubenstein.
Emily Killoran, a three-year senior from Rocky Hill, Connecticut, talked about her lucky jersey number—91—and why it has significance in her life. For one, she said, “When the numerals are rearranged, 91 becomes 19, a much more common number to pick for a jersey. This happens to be the number my younger sister Allie wears on hers... Allie and I, though three years apart, were both born on the 19th of different months in different years, something that has always been unique to us and our family.”
Kennedy Morris, technically a four-year senior from Stafford, Connecticut, spoke about her meaningful relationship with music, and performed an original song. She said, “I couldn’t tell you how long I have been singing, but it’s a huge part of what makes me who I am. I have been writing my own music for about five years now.” She shared “Self Fulfilling Prophecy,” with lyrics including: “you follow script and I’ll follow you / you’re looking ahead as I stare at the view / I’m not sure you realize how terrified I am to fall / don’t want your broken pieces on my wall.”
Anna Ziegler, a three-year senior from Warren, New Jersey, spoke about the friendships she made with her dorm-mates across the years. She began by saying, “It was a difficult adjustment to live away from home but also be limited to mainly spending time in your dorm due to COVID. The cohort periods my sophomore year at first felt suffocating but in the end were a blessing in disguise... During the winter term is when I connected with my dorm the most.”
Connor Booth, a four-year senior from Wallingford, Connecticut, talked about his ADHD diagnosis and the challenges he has faced because of it. He said, “I’ve learned through my struggles and trying to find myself back at that state of happiness, I’m not going to settle. Even if there seems to be a long way to go to achieve what I want, I won’t give up until I have it. Not with my academics, not with my sports, and especially not with those I love and care about.”
Chase Stevens, a four-year senior from Suffield, Connecticut, reflected back on his freshman Leadership biography to influence his senior chapel speech. He said, “Looking back, a lot has changed in the past four years: a pandemic, a new president, the dining hall food (looking at you, Mr. Cahn and yes, I miss the ‘Mr. Cahn Cooks Your Omelet Day’), and last but not least, the swim team.”
Ellie Frisbie, a three-year senior from Middlebury, Connecticut, encouraged her listeners to focus on the present rather than worrying about what could be. She said, “As you leave today, I would like to encourage you all to not dwell on the what-ifs but instead be grateful for the people you have around you, because you never know what the alternate ending could’ve been.”
Mia Rubenstein, a four-year senior from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, spoke about her experience with anti-semitism—something she had been scared to acknowledge. After a horrible freshman year at a previous high school, she said, “I wanted my personality back. My eagerness. My itching to be involved and outgoing. I had to seek somewhere that would help me rediscover these values again... Suffield, thank you for believing in me when I was at my lowest and believing in me now as I continue to strive to be better... Suffield is a place where if your light starts to dim, there is someone close by to help you regain your flame.”
The senior speaker series is a valuable Suffield Academy tradition and capstone part of the Leadership Program. It is a weekly highlight in our community.
