Saturday, June 8, marked the final day of being students at Moorestown Friends for the Class of 2019. Over 600 people gathered around the oval to celebrate the graduating class. The ceremony began with the processional and ended with the awarding of the diplomas by Upper School Director Meredith Godley and Head of School Julia de la Torre.

The class selected former Middle and Upper School Math teacher Dorothy Lopez as their commencement speaker, as well as two of their classmates: Serena Lin ‘19 and Andrew Rowan ‘19.

Ms. Lopez encouraged students to recognize the things they value in life: “When you know what your values are, you never can fail and decisions are no longer hard to make. I encourage you to continue to lead your life with purpose and these values … to rely on them, to turn to them in good and in difficult times.”

All of the students were dressed in MFS’ traditional graduation attire, black tuxedos for boys and white dresses for girls, a tradition dating back over a hundred years. Serena Lin ‘19 shared why the tradition of wearing the white dress was important to her:

“I initially was hesitant about the tradition of wearing white dresses and tuxedos because I was worried about missing out on the more common graduation cap and gown. However, it’s grown on me as the years have gone past. I think that it’s a unique touch that MFS has on the graduation ceremony. At least for the girls, the opportunities for personalization with the dress are endless, and I had fun deciding what to wear,” said Lin.

A beautiful, warm summer night posed no threat of rain and curbed any sense of anxiety over the outdoor ceremony.

“Knowing that graduation hadn’t been held inside for many decades, I was really worried about the weather, but it turned out to be a beautiful evening. I think MFS does a really fantastic job of making a warm and celebratory ceremony. It’s fun to see how everyone’s personality comes out during the procession. It adds a spontaneous touch to an otherwise formal ceremony,” said Andrew Rowan ‘19.

For more WordsWorth coverage of Commencement 2019, check out the video below. 

*All Photos by Shelby Deibler ’20

*Video by Lizzie Carter ’20