Before becoming head of school at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano last year, Dr. Jeneen Graham had been a Tartan parent, trustee, academic dean, and upper school head. So she has seen her share of graduating classes. When I asked about her vision for the last year of the class of 2024, she said, “The confidence of community.”
She surely got her wish. One could tell she is an inspiring leader by the five-minute standing ovation she received at her installation ceremony in November. Hearing her call to community, this year St. Margaret’s experienced record turnout at campus events, packed stands as the Tartans racked up three more CIS championships (girls’ cross country and boys’ lacrosse and volleyball), and even notched 100% attendance at the eighth grade dance, surely a miracle worthy of Jesus himself.
Canon Kathy Hannigan O’Connor and I were along as usual Friday for the annual St. Margaret’s baccalaureate ceremony on Chalmer’s Field, when the longtime rector, the Rev. Canon Rob Edwards, and his school chaplain colleagues the Rev. Earl Gibson, the Rev. G. Cole Gruberth, and the Rev. James Livingston give graduates and their families one more dose of that old-time chapel love. Their liturgy included a prayer for Payton Chester, the classmate of many of our graduates who, with her mother, Sarah, was among the nine who died in the Kobe Bryant crash in 2020.
For my remarks, Dr. Graham’s community themes set me up beautifully. Salutatorian Chenyu Xie gave a confident, inspiring address, numbering all 676 of his days on campus and making a point to thank food service personnel. I had the pleasure of assisting Fr. James in presenting the Bishop’s Spirituality Award to the poised, gracious, and faithful Audrey Weiss, younger daughter of St. Margaret’s stalwarts and community leaders Jason and Joanna.
Another notable graduate was Noah Mackenzie, whose parents, Angela, a St. Margaret’s administrator, and Lester, president of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles Standing Committee, were beaming with joy. And graduate Carly Grumet? Oh, my, but I knew her when she was yea high, when her physician parents Jennifer and Rob Grumet welcomed me to nearby St. John Chrysostom Church and School in 2004. Another graduate, Mark Cyr, was also a buddy from St. John’s days, about which his mom, attorney and former school committee chair Patty Foudy Cyr, and I reminisced amply after the service.
