What makes the St. Margaret’s Episcopal School class of 2025 special? Just ask head of school Jeneen Graham. Most arrived on campus the second year of COVID, she said, so they have the bond of shared crisis. A larger than usual percentage are artists. And though it’s one of the smaller recent classes, a record 19 were admitted to USC, one more than required for an Australian football team. A dozen will actually matriculate as Trojans.
On Friday evening Kathy and I made our annual journey to San Juan Capistrano so I could speak at the Baccalaureate service on Chalmers Field, near the site where a beautiful St. Margaret’s Commons is under construction, soon to be the campus’s focal point for fellowship and food. Salutatorian Justin Tam offered a rousing tribute to his class. The veteran rector, the Rev. Canon Robert Edwards, looked on beneficently as always. On the recommendation of the chaplains, I had the honor of presenting the Bishop’s Spirituality Award to senior Henry Reising, already discerning if he is called to leadership in The Episcopal Church.
Afterward Rob showed us the parish church’s new community garden before we all repaired to Jeneen and Andy’s gracious home for the annual post-Baccalaureate feast. Among the guests was renowned Orange County attorney Jason Weiss, who represents me on the St. Margaret’s board of trustees, and his spouse, Joanna, a nonprofit executive and recent congressional candidate.
