Beacon Online

The Beacon Commencement

Below you will find the online portion of the 2018 Beacon Commencement Magazine.

List of 5 items.

Ryan Finvarb's 2018 Commencement Valedictorian Address

“Whatever you do, do NOT apply to Wharton. You’ll never get in.” Words uttered by none other than Penn Alumni, current Penn students, past Wharton applicants, my grandparents, and even my own college counselor – don’t worry Sardina, I knew it wasn’t personal! Quite unbelievably now, these are the exact words that I wrote to begin my college admissions essay for Wharton. I had committed college suicide, and the only consolation I had was that I could change my other applications. When I reflect back on the decision to begin my application to Wharton this way I imagine an analogous approach to other things in life like a first date or job interview and I cringe a lot on the inside. “You know, I don’t really think you’re going to hire me, but I put on a suit so I’m going to do the interview anyway.” or worse, “I don’t really think this relationship is going to work out, but let’s just wing it – I mean maybe I’m wrong, probably not, but still, I mean I guess. Here, I am at the point of no return. What do I have to lose?” I know these discouragements were meant to protect me from the grave disappointment associated with defeat. These proverbial words of wisdom were expressed to ensure that I’d survive to succeed unscathed, but I have a different perspective…. Since I was going to reach anyway, what I did was I assembled those people cautioning me to break my fall, should I have failed.
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Upper School Awards

Please click here for a full list of Upper School awards and honors in academics, service, leadership, publications, journalism, athletics, and the Arts.
Middle School Awards

Please click here for a full list of Middle School awards and honors in academics, service, leadership, writing, athletics, and the Arts.
Lower School Awards

Please click here for a full list of the Weslie Grosz Kindness and Nathan Hurst Love of Learning Lower School award winners.
Athletic Awards

Please click here for a full list of Athletic award winners.

Miami Country Day School is a college preparatory learning community committed to educating the whole child. Through the core values of honor, respect, wisdom and compassion, we prepare students to be lifelong learners. We inspire our children to develop their intellectual, physical, aesthetic, social, emotional and spiritual potentials by valuing every student every day.