Josh Cobb, Head of School
Over the past few weeks, I have visited your advisories and have asked two questions, “If you were Head of School, what would you never change about your Graland experience? And what would you consider changing?” Since this is a day of celebration, let’s focus on the former question. Every advisory I visited told me not to change the D.C. Trip. When I heard this sentiment, I felt fortunate that I shared that experience with you last year.
Our first evening in Washington, I met your group right below the grandeur of the Lincoln Memorial. From there, we visited the Vietnam War Memorial, a sunken, glimmering black V that cuts into the earth. After descending past the engraved names of the fallen, we walked up to The Vietnam Women’s Memorial by Texas artist Glenna Goodacre. We all encircled it, as our tour guides explained its significance.
This piece, if you remember it, depicts three service women caring for an injured soldier. Though quite literal in its depiction of these individuals, the statue also symbolizes three qualities.
Central to the work is a woman who represents Charity. She holds the soldier in her arms, looking at him with caring eyes, almost willing him to stay alive.
Adjacent to her is another uniformed woman, Faith, who kneels and bows her head in prayer.
Finally, there is one more servicewoman, Hope, who looks skyward in anticipation of a Medevac helicopter.
Charity. Faith. Hope.
Charity reflects a courage to care. I hope that each of you go on from Graland understanding the importance of developing this courageous compassion. Like any important attribute, it takes commitment. It isn’t something that just comes naturally to some people and not to others. We all have the potential for kindness; we just need to find the courage to act on it, in small ways and in big ways, so it becomes part of who we are.
Once we find that compassion, we are closer to finding our purpose, which to me relates to faith. Whether you are religious or not, faith is a belief that there are elements of life that are larger than our own self-centered desires. Purpose helps us find that meaning beyond ourselves. It, like faith, grounds us and gives us hope even in the darkest of dilemmas.
Hope is not a fairy tale dream. True hope realistically assesses a challenge and gives us the confidence to confront it. It is an emotional bridge that helps us traverse hard times with a positive mindset. When I look at your class and think about all you have accomplished and all you will accomplish, I feel full of hope, grounded in my belief in each of you.
As you go on from Graland today, do your best to think of that lesser known bronze sculpture on the National Mall and what it represents. Remember Charity, Faith, and Hope, and look for opportunities, profound and mundane, to practice those qualities and foster them within your heart. You will gain many skills and refine many talents, all of which will help you in life, but ultimately, in your most trying moments, these three attributes will give you the strength you need to bolster yourself, to find your purpose, and to positively change the lives of others. Thank you and congratulations!
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
