From the head

Grandparents are the Best!

When it comes to grandparents, there is usually a universal feeling of warmth, joy, respect, and inspiration. In the final sessions of our school-wide public speaking curriculum, we focused on sharing stories that were truly meaningful to us to connect to our deeper selves and help others connect to us. Students and faculty were asked to speak about defining moments in their lives or share a story about their grandparents. They were given the following prompts:

• Share a memory of my grandparents that I have from when I was younger.
• Share something that my grandparents taught me.
• Share something that I learned from watching them live their lives.

The stories were meaningful, funny, emotional, and inspirational. Here are some of the topics:

"My grandfather reached out to a stranger who paved his way from nothing to a leader in his community."

"I watched my grandmother always stay positive despite many challenges that she had to face."

"My grandmother was orphaned and later became a parent at an early age, but she was a committed mother who raised my own mother to be a Doctor."

This week, we welcomed a group of grandparents for a day at Hyde. They got tours of the mansion, met with their grandchildren, and were the featured speakers at the school, where they talked about their first jobs, their life triumphs and challenges, and the lessons they learned along their journey. Some of their pearls of wisdom included:

• We had to work hard, and it shaped us. Do not be afraid to be the hardest worker.
• There was no internet, and even phones were scarce, so we had to develop ourselves in other ways.
• Be kind and grateful for the opportunities that you are given.
• Stay positive so you can see the possibilities that are around you, even in the toughest of times.

Thanks to all of our grandparents for shining light on the path ahead of us and inspiring us with your example! 

Laura D. Gauld '76

President

Postgraduates Phil and Ben with their grandmother Ursula.