CONVOCATION HIGHLIGHTS – FACE YOUR FEARS
On September 5, 2018, current and new NA students, leadership and faculty members came together for Newark Academy’s 245th Convocation Ceremony. The annual Convocation Ceremony is a time-honored tradition that celebrates the momentous start of a new academic year while also allowing NA to recognize its long-serving faculty. Congregating in Rose Auditorium, everyone was dressed up for the occasion, with students and staff in formal attire while faculty members wore their academic gowns. Students stood for the formal profession of the Head of School, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, President of the Alumni Board of Governor, distinguished keynote speaker and faculty.
Head of School Don Austin welcomed the students, reminding them to not stress too much over grades as one’s grades don’t necessarily equate to lessons learned since failure is an important part of the learning process. Board of Trustees Chairman David D. McGraw ’77 greeted students along with Student Council President Drew Flanagan ’19, who encouraged his classmates to not be afraid to ask questions to learn new things.
“As I and everyone in this room embark on the 2018-2019 school year, we should try to not blindly accept ideas, words, and notions around us, but question why things are the way they are. Intellectual and general curiosity both in and out of the classroom are distinguishing characteristics of every Newark Academy student. However, sometimes we are subconsciously passive because we are too shy or too phased by the business of the school day to have the energy to raise our hands. I am too often guilty of not speaking up. For me, whether it’s learning about an abbreviation in Economics, an accent in Spanish, or a rule in math, it’s critical that I am an active, rather than a passive, learner.Today, rejuvenated from a long summer vacation I want to encourage all of you, the faculty, and myself to continue to ask ‘why’ and ‘how,’ instead of just understanding ‘what’ and going with what is broadly accepted.
Asking might not be expedient and can prove difficult. Especially if we are under the pressure of a deadline or too tired from a hard day’s work. And even when we ask, there might not be an answer. However, when we don’t raise our hand and inquire ‘why,’ we miss an opportunity to learn,” said Drew.
From there, Von Rollenhagen, Dean of Faculty, recognized the following faculty for longevity milestones:
- 5 years: Jessica DeSanta, Moussa Fall, Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick, Vanessa Gabb and Alexis Romay
- 10 years: Lisa Grider, Jayme Kaczanoski, Beth Sparacino and Jeff Vinikoor
- 15 years: Yvette Luxenberg, Kirsti Morin and Neil Stourton
- 20 years: Rich DiBanca
- 25 years: Nancy Celente, Alexandra Mahoney, Deb Tavares
- 30 years: Cathy Pursell
- 35 years: Scott Johnson
Afterwards, President of the Alumni Board of Governors Glenn Waldorf ’90 introduced the keynote speaker, Taffi Ayodele ’00, who is well known for her accomplishments in her personal and professional pursuits. An advocate for inclusion and helping those in need, she uses her platform to build strong communities locally and abroad. A proud alum, Taffi shared with students how failures helped to define her and not let fear get in the way of your pursuits.
“I had to say this cheer to myself this morning to fight through my fear of public speaking. It goes like this ‘We’ve got everything, there’s nothing we lack so FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT right back!’ So I personalized it for myself this morning and said, ‘you’ve got everything there’s nothing you lack so fight fight fight those nerves right back.’
You see, what you won’t hear in my bio that Glen just shared or read in Forbe’s is that my life has been filled with fears, failures and disappointments. As you go through this life, you will learn that the good does come with the bad. That you will have to face your fears. But as long as you have a fighting spirit, a fighting attitude, you’ll be able to see the good come out of those seemingly difficult moments. You may not see it right away but trust me you will see it one day.
It is because of my biggest failure at NA that I am able to wear this fancy academic robe as a member of the Board of Trustees at New York University. The highest governing body of the university.”
Taffi went on to tell the story of how she got caught plagiarizing a paper her senior year at NA, and if it wasn’t for her honesty in front of the Honor Council, she would have been expelled like the other student that was caught and lied. While her failing the paper and not making Honor Roll due to a C in the class, therefore preventing a full-scholarship to her dream school, Taffi learned, grew and prospered from her failure.
“While I went to NYU [New York University] reluctantly, I ended up falling in love with the campus and the teachers and the charm of Washington Square Village. I ended up loving NYU so much that 8 years after graduation I went back for my master’s degree and met my husband JG there! See that “F” on my English paper back in 1999 got me a wedding ring and a fancy academic robe!”
She then told of when an older NYU alum encouraged her to get involved as an alumni association, and that despite that no one on the Board of Trustees looked like her, she had the power to change that, and ultimately did.
“You’re going to make bad choices, you’re going to experience fear, failure and rejection. But know that there are people here who care about you. Who will fight alongside you and will do everything possible to see you succeed here at NA and beyond, but YOU and only YOU can be your biggest cheerleader. You have to face your fears and stand up for what’s right even if it makes you uncomfortable. You have to believe that there is something unique and special about YOU and that there is something you are supposed to contribute to this world. You have to get up and fight even when you’ve been knocked down because ‘you’ve got everything, there’s nothing you lack so FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT RIGHT BACK!”
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