Marymount of Santa Barbara’s 2016 commencement ceremony, held on a lawn on the Middle School’s Riviera campus, was an event that families and students will remember.
Individual recognition of each graduating student and celebration of community make Marymount graduations something that families look forward to for years.
Many students attend Marymount from kindergarten or junior kindergarten, making the eighth-grade Marymount graduation a finale to 9-10 years at the school.
Held under a white tent with a view of Los Padres Mountains as a backdrop, the ceremony is both formal and very personal.
The 2016 Marymount graduation was organized by school staff and parent volunteers under the leadership of parents Christy Condon and Annette Kowblanksy.
Head of School Andrew Wooden and President of the Board of Trustees Kirk Borchardt welcomed the large crowd and officiated the event. Speeches about each student were given by beloved Marymount teacher Matt Kustura, and Marymount parent Landa Somerville was selected to give the 2016 commencement address.
Marymount commencement ceremonies, particularly the speeches about each student, reflect how well students are known and valued as individuals at Marymount.
Another trademark of the school’s graduations is hearing from the graduates themselves. After years of learning to articulate their ideas and having many opportunities to voice them publicly, Marymount graduates speak with ease and confidence at the microphone.
After the ceremony, students and families attend a formal lunch off campus to further celebrate student accomplishment.
Marymount of Santa Barbara’s class of 2016 is sending students to a wide variety of secondary schools. This year’s graduates will attend Bishop Diego Garcia High School, Cate School, Choate-Rosemary Hall, Dos Pueblos High School’s Engineering Academy, Groton School, Laguna Blanca School, Midland School, Renaissance School, AAPLE Academy at San Marcos High School, MAD Academy at Santa Barbara High School, Computer Science Academy at Santa Barbara High School and The Thacher School.
Marymounts 2016 graduates are Olivia Benbow, Grace Blankenhorn, Simon Burke, Tommy Condon, Sophia Colby, Connie Connaughton, Benjamin Fenton, Grace Fuss, John Gilner, Kiele Harris, Grace Hay, Alyssa Hernandez, Abigail Hendrix, Mia Hilf, Scott Holmes, Isabelle Hughes, Clara Johnson, Nora Kelly, Madison Kirk, Andrew Kowblanksy, Elie Largura, Matthew Maloy, Grace Matthews, Sofija Ninness, Quentin Oas, Devin Pai, Luca Pieretti, Brooks Reed, Ermei Shefflin, Chae Somerville and Alex Yorchin.
— Molly Seguel is the admission director at Marymount of Santa Barbara.
