Santa Barbara Middle School honored its graduating ninth-grade class Friday, June 17, at Elings Park’s Godric Grove in their traditional ceremony.

As tradition for Santa Barbara Middle School, each ninth-grade graduate selects a significant mentor to honor at this special rite of passage.

Moms, dads, siblings, teachers, aunts, uncles and alumni all were on hand on the afternoon of the ceremony to offer thoughtful words in an individual, personalized tribute to their graduating ninth-grade student.

Surrounded by family, friends, alumni and mentors, each ninth-grade graduate was acknowledged for the unique and varied journey that had brought them this far. 

And equally fitting, the annual event is designed to be intentional about the need for a reflective pause on the road forward; those in attendance embraced the emerging young adults, now confidently ready to take on the new transitions that await.

After each “honoring” speech, Whitney Ingersoll, head of admission and SBMS’s own poet laureate, shared with the graduate and all of those there to mark the milestone a personally written poem, hand-painted and embellished by Sophie Frieman, one of SBMS’s resident artists.

Brian McWilliams, SBMS head of school, challenged each student to live true to the school’s 2015-16 theme — “Oceans of Wonder: Explore, Learn, Return” — and asked each student to consider now that they have had the opportunity to fulfill the first two tenants of the mantra. 

McWilliams then encouraged the students to return the gratitude and good fortune that they have earned to help better our shared world.

— Sue Carmody represents Santa Barbara Middle School.