Mr. Steven Turner, Regis Head of School, shares an abridged version of his remarks from the Class of 2023 Graduation.  To watch a recording of his remarks, visit our Regis Live page.  

Gentlemen of the Regis class of 2023, you’ve made it. Or, seeing as you don’t yet have diplomas in your hands, I guess you have nearly made it. But before you walk across this stage to get that diploma—and I assure you that all of you will get one—you get to listen to your friendly neighborhood Head of School share some wisdom with you. 

But first, I just want to tell you all how proud I am of this class. This is obviously your first Regis graduation, and it happens to be my first graduation at this school as well. Hopefully, I’ve done everything right so far. Know that with you all being the first class I get to see graduate from this school, you will be etched in my memory for years to come here at Regis. Yours is a class that has been called “spirited.” Sometimes, that can mean something like “challenging.” At least that’s what it meant for my high school graduating class back in 1998. Administrators there still talk about us 25 years later. I’ll tell you a secret, though. The secret is that I see “spirited” as more of a badge of honor than a label to be avoided. “Spirited” also means fun, and the challenges you have presented to your teachers and administrators here were easily overcome. In fact, overcoming these challenges probably served to make all of us—both you and the adults around here—better. Yes, you’re “spirited.” Keep that spirit as you move on from here. Be interesting. Be memorable. Be fun. It’s worked for you so far, and life is too short to be dull. 

I suppose that’s my first piece of advice for you, but I have three more for you as you move on from 7330 Westview. The first is to live by the words that you will soon see on the school seal imprinted on your diploma. You won’t easily find these words on the school’s website, and it’s not something we talk about at Regis as much as we likely should, but what I am referring to is the school’s official motto. It’s in Latin, and it reads “In Deo Omnia Efficere Potest.” In English, that translates to “In God, one is able to accomplish all things.” There are two important parts to consider in this statement. Let’s start with the part that reads “one is able to accomplish all things.” When your parents chose to enroll you at the Regis school, they gave you an amazing gift—the gift of an education that has set you on a path where the sky is the limit. By the way, you should definitely thank them for this, and probably even consider a solid hug. 

Over the years you have been at Regis, you have acquired the tools and dispositions that will lead you to successful lives. Whether it’s correctly conjugating an -er verb in French, delivering a presentation on an important figure, shooting a perfect free throw, or solving for X, the lessons you have learned here will last a lifetime. Because of the strong foundations you have built during your time at Regis, you truly can do anything you put your minds to. I know that you can and will accomplish all things. But it’s the first part of the statement that I really want to stress. Remember that the statement reads “In God, one is able to accomplish all things.” Yes, you can accomplish anything you put your mind to, but it’s only “in God” that you are able to do this. I was a Latin teacher before I went into school administration, so I’m going to geek out for a minute here, and I hope you’ll bear with me. I find the preposition used in the school motto here interesting. The Latin preposition “in” means exactly what its English equivalent does. Quite simply, in means in. How is it “in God” that all of your wildest dreams can come true? Would it be better to use the Latin preposition “per,” which means “through” or “because of?” Or perhaps the preposition “cum” which means “with?” The use of the preposition “in” here suggests something important. To suggest that one can accomplish all things “through” God puts God in the role of a conduit or pass-through. If you want to do something, talk to God about it, and He’ll make it happen. Or to say that one can accomplish all things “with” God suggests something similar. Give God a call, and if He decides to accompany you, you’ll get it done. The preposition “in” makes everything different. If God is in you, and you are in God, God’s involvement in your accomplishments isn’t optional. There’s no call you need to make to get God to make it happen, and God doesn’t have the option of declining your invitation to be with you. Remember that you and God are inextricably linked. When you succeed, you and God succeed. If you’re riding the struggle bus, God is there too, because He lives in you. Remember this: it’s your faith in God and the belief that He is part of you that enables you to do all things. A secondary learning: never underestimate the importance of a preposition. 

Piece of advice number two: think carefully about the kinds of things you set out to accomplish and what they mean. New York Times columnist David Brooks wrote in 2015 on the difference between resumé virtues and eulogy virtues. Put simply, to use his words, “The resumé virtues are the skills you bring to the marketplace. The eulogy virtues are the ones that are talked about at your funeral—whether you were kind, brave, honest, or faithful.” I don’t say this to be morbid; I know some of you are probably wondering why I am referring to your funerals when you haven’t even started high school yet. For the record, I hope you live very long and fulfilling lives. But the point David Brooks is making is a good one. Will you collect a great number of resumé virtues? Attend a prestigious university? Win an academic award? Get a special certification? Sure, you can do all of these things, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We often focus on the resumé virtues, which can be seen as a measure of performance. As a society, these so-called resumé virtues are often how we define success. But it’s important not to lose sight of the eulogy virtues. Like Father Johnson said this morning, your accomplishments, awards, scores, rankings, and the like do not define your worth. The worth God has given you, which is infinite, is something you put on display when you live lives of virtue. The Goals and Criteria are a pretty good representation of what these so-called eulogy virtues look like. Goal I calls us to have a personal and active faith in God. Faith is not something you put on your resumé, and there are few accolades or awards related to how faithful you are. Goal II calls us to have a deep respect for intellectual values. This Goal is not about how many A’s appear on your report card, but rather about how open and respectful you are to ideas and opinions that are not your own. Goal III calls us to have a social awareness that impels to action. The action in question isn’t getting a PhD, but rather an act of service or kindness that brings good to the world around you. Goal IV calls us to build community as a Christian value. If you study to be an engineer, you may build an actual bridge, but as a Regis graduate, what kinds of bridges will you build to connect you with your fellow man? And lastly, Goal V calls us to grow in an atmosphere of wise freedom. Yes, growth in your career can be measured and appear on a resumé, but consider how you might grow as a man, as an eventual husband and father, as a person of faith. Go ahead and collect those accolades. Accomplish all things in God. Just make sure that you don’t forget those things or virtues that don’t come with promotions, money, awards, or recognition. Think carefully about what kind of man you want to become, and then become that man. 

And my final piece of advice: don’t forget where it is that you have come from. I just mentioned the five Sacred Heart Goals. You have recited a version of those each morning that you have come to school at Regis in our opening prayer. “Each day, Dear Lord, I will love as you love, study and learn, help those who need me, be a friend to all, and make wise choices.” These Goals have shaped and formed you into the young men you have become. Remember that you are a Regis Knight. And as a Regis Knight, you are also part of something much larger. You are a child of the Sacred Heart. You belong to a Network of schools that number 25 in the United States and nearly 200 across the world. In a moment, along with your diploma, you will receive your Sacred Heart passport. This passport grants you access to any Sacred Heart school or facility in the world. And I can tell you from having visited several Sacred Heart schools: they all have the same feel or vibe about them. You will feel right at home, and this is because no matter which Sacred Heart school you might visit, you will be at home. Never forget who you are, or where you have come from. You are a Regis Knight. You are a child of the Sacred Heart.

Gentlemen, I have known you for only a short time, but I have been impressed with all of you individually and as a “spirited” class. I know you are bound for great things. I hope you come back and see us here at Regis often. I wish you nothing but the best, and I look forward to seeing all that you will accomplish, in God, of course. Congratulations on your graduation. Simply put, I am proud to know you. God Bless, and Go Knights!