DEERFIELD — Family and friends gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of the graduating class at Deerfield Academy on Sunday morning.
The commencement ceremony brought school community members together under a tent to watch the graduates walk across the stage and enter a new phase of life.
The school selected Colin Jost from NBC’s Saturday Night Live to come to the campus as the commencement speaker to crack a few jokes before wishing the students well on their next chapter.
While congratulating the graduates, Jost told them to be resilient and be prepared to stumble. “At SNL I failed as much as I’ve succeeded,” he said.
Healy McCann Knight and Ezekiel Grogan Emerson gave the senior addresses, reflecting on their time on the majestic campus and how they grew and evolved during their time at Deerfield Academy.
“Deerfield has taught me to love life as it comes,” said Knight. “I will remember fondly how I lived for the last four years.” She reflected on how she has grown from a freshmen just arriving on campus to the confident person she is today.
At least 11 locals graduated on Sunday from Deerfield Academy, including Amanda Deskavich of South Deerfield, Anna Ballou of South Deerfield, Benjamin Collins of South Deerfield, Brian Persons of South Deerfield, Ezekiel Emerson of Deerfield, Josephine Meier of Ashfield, Lucas Galperin of Deerfield, Maggie Yin of Deerfield, Maia Taylor of Deerfield, Samantha Habel of Conway and Sarah Dancer of Deerfield.