Agnes Irwin's Class of 2016 Graduates

The 68 members of Agnes Irwin’s Class of 2016 received their diplomas during Commencement exercises on Thursday, June 9 at The Agnes Irwin School.

“Leaving Agnes Irwin of course means departing those legendary years of high school, but of far greater import is the departure we are taking from the place which has been our home,” Anna Catherine Kramer ’16 told her fellow graduates in her student address, before a room full of family and friends. “Essentially, this graduation marks the day we are no longer surrounded by the relationships, laughs, and occasional disagreements which have shaped us, whether we like it or not, into the people we are today. Our greatest strengths and foundational foibles are the legacy of our education — not the knowledge we’ve crammed into our heads… but the experiences and habits we’ve unwittingly absorbed into our subconscious.”

Similarly reflecting on the ways an Agnes Irwin education impacts its students, alumna Courtney H. Leimkuhler '97 delivered the Commencement address, encouraging graduates to challenge their assumptions, remain bold and curious, and to leave their mark on the world.

Leimkuhler is the Chief Financial Officer of Marsh, the leading global insurance broker and risk advisor and one of four operating companies of Marsh & McLennan Companies. Prior to her current position, Leimkuhler was the Chief Financial Officer of Marsh’s U.S. and Canada Division. Before joining Marsh, Leimkuhler served as executive vice president and head of corporate strategy at NYSE Euronext, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange. A “lifer” at AIS, Leimkuhler graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College with a degree in government.

Leimkuhler is the co-President of Agnes Irwin’s National Alumnae Advisory Council and in May, was elected to join the school’s Board of Trustees.

Leimkuhler began her speech by sharing an anecdote that author David Foster Wallace famously imparted in his 2005 Commencement speech at Kenyon College. “How’s the water?” an older fish asks two younger fish, before swimming on. The two fish turn to each other. “What the hell is water?” one fish asks the other.

“While its lesson is open to many interpretations, the one I take from it is to think critically about the assumptions you make,” Leimkuhler said. “I think that's good advice at any age — but it's particularly apt for those of you who are about to swim out of this wonderful little coral cove and into the big ocean.” Water, in this case, represents unspoken assumptions — the things we take for granted about the world that motivate our behaviors and attitudes: “things that are so fundamental to how you were raised that you have rarely, if ever, questioned them.”

She offered advice about three crossroads at which it is especially important to be mindful of one’s particular “water”: when heading off to college; when planning a career, especially as a woman; and when considering life’s twists and turns and the ultimate contribution each student hoped to make. Leimkuhler encouraged students to replace judgment with curiosity, making their worlds bigger, not smaller, to have career plans but to remain flexible and open to change.

She also pointed out that “water” isn’t always bad. “The assumptions you will make about yourself and what you are capable of … this aspect [of water] is the most powerful of all.” She noted that at Agnes Irwin, a place that she said develops character traits like grit, determination and resilience in its students, “this aspect of the water is what gives you the independent thinking and intellectual curiosity to replace judgment, the perseverance to bounce back when your plan fails, when your assumptions were wrong or your faith misplaced.”

“Confidence in that water should enable you to walk off this stage with your chest puffed out, to go into the world with joy, curiosity and abandon,” Leimkuhler said.

Before the presentation of diplomas, eight prizes were awarded — in history, English, modern language, science, classics, mathematics and arts, as well as overall academic achievement. On Wednesday night, scores of students in the Upper School received a wide variety of awards and accolades in academic and extracurricular activities.

• The Agnes Irwin School History Prize, given in memory of the Founder of the School for the best work in history: Caroline Mosimann, Morgan Smith
• The Alumnae Association English Award, given by the alumnae of The Agnes Irwin School in memory of their first president, Elizabeth Elliott Wiener, Class of 1913: Nicolette Hevizi, Anna Kramer and Anisha Mittal
• The Agnes Irwin School Modern Language Prize, awarded by the Modern Language Department to the senior or seniors who have shown the greatest degree of excellence in her study of the language and culture: Morgan Smith(French), Camille Smukler (French), Sophia Lindner (Spanish), Grace Fan(Chinese)
• The Edith C. Gall Science Prize, presented by the Class of 1963 to a senior who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of science during the year, given in memory of Mrs. Edith C. Gall, beloved teacher: Sophie Fisher
• The Bertha Laws Classics Prize, awarded to the senior who has shown the greatest understanding of the classical languages and of the classical concepts that are the cornerstone of Western civilization: Alex Pinsk (Greek),Sanyukta Wagle (Latin)
• The Phyllis Belisle Mathematics Prize, given by Mrs. Armand A. Belisle in memory of her daughter, Chair of the Department of Mathematics from 1954 to 1957, for the best work in mathematics: Sophie Fisher
• The Agnes Irwin School Arts Prize, presented to a senior for distinguished work in the visual or performing arts: Carolyn Shipe (Visual Arts), Sophia Lindner (Performing Arts)
• The Phi Beta Kappa Association of the Delaware Valley Award, presented to an outstanding senior who embodies the Phi Beta Kappa ideals of academic achievement, character, and a love of wisdom and learning: Sophie Fisher

In her closing remarks, Head of School Dr. Wendy Hill recalled Dr. Jane Goodall’s visit to Agnes Irwin last September, and the reasons for hope, in the face of world challenges, that Goodall had enumerated. “The human intellect, the indomitable human spirit, and the determination and commitment of young people are all in evidence in you, the Class of 2016,” Hill said. “Each of you has used your intellect, tackled challenging tasks, with determination, passion, and commitment. This afternoon we celebrate your achievement, and as we do, we recognize you as our reason for hope.”

View the full list of college destinations for the Class of 2016 here.

View the full list of Class Night Awards from Wednesday, June 8.