WEBVTT 00:00:00.125 --> 00:00:03.086 I'm Phebe Wahl, the Parents’ Association President, 00:00:03.086 --> 00:00:08.216 member of the Foxcroft Class of 1996, and parent to current junior Ellie. 00:00:08.925 --> 00:00:10.885 I'm so happy to be with you tonight— 00:00:10.885 --> 00:00:12.345 so happy to be here with you tonight 00:00:12.345 --> 00:00:15.724 and to celebrate this momentous occasion in Foxcroft School history. 00:00:16.599 --> 00:00:19.686 When I reflect on the most meaningful lessons of my life, 00:00:19.686 --> 00:00:22.022 all of them took root here on this campus, 00:00:22.022 --> 00:00:25.442 whether at the barn, in the dorms, or in the biology lab. 00:00:26.067 --> 00:00:28.695 I arrived a shy, uncertain freshman 00:00:28.695 --> 00:00:31.281 who rarely found the courage to raise her hand, 00:00:31.281 --> 00:00:35.618 and I graduated a confident young woman, a student leader, class president, 00:00:35.869 --> 00:00:38.830 and most importantly, at ease in my own skin. 00:00:38.830 --> 00:00:41.916 Foxcroft gave me the confidence that carried me through college, 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:45.795 graduate school, and into board rooms where I'm often the only woman at the table. 00:00:46.463 --> 00:00:49.466 Foxcroft set my life on an entirely different path, 00:00:49.591 --> 00:00:52.594 one which gave me the fortitude to weather any storm. 00:00:52.844 --> 00:00:56.681 To me, that's Foxcroft’s magic, what I call it secret sauce. 00:00:57.057 --> 00:01:00.852 The fearless spirit of Miss Charlotte herself, who today's generation 00:01:00.852 --> 00:01:02.645 might call an OG Baddie. 00:01:04.355 --> 00:01:08.026 She was bold, revolutionary, and joyfully unapologetic. 00:01:08.276 --> 00:01:12.530 Whether leading students on a fox hunt or reffing a Fox/Hound Basketball game, 00:01:12.822 --> 00:01:15.825 she empowered young women with lessons of leadership, 00:01:15.867 --> 00:01:18.870 empathy, integrity, and, above all, joy. 00:01:19.704 --> 00:01:23.124 That spirit is also embedded in the traditions she left us, 00:01:23.124 --> 00:01:25.335 each carrying important lessons for life. 00:01:25.960 --> 00:01:28.755 Sing Sings remind us the importance of play 00:01:28.755 --> 00:01:32.801 and the cathartic joy of sometimes just screaming at the top of your lungs 00:01:33.093 --> 00:01:35.220 and a tutu and feather boa of course. 00:01:35.678 --> 00:01:39.307 Sunrise Service teaches us to pause and reflect, 00:01:39.307 --> 00:01:41.392 to see the breathtaking beauty of a moment 00:01:41.684 --> 00:01:44.687 even in the midst of life's busiest seasons. 00:01:45.146 --> 00:01:47.941 And the reverence of walking in your sisters’ footsteps 00:01:47.941 --> 00:01:53.655 through Miss Charlotte's garden binds us to generations of bold, brave women who came before us. 00:01:54.405 --> 00:01:58.785 These rituals may seem simple, but they instill the values of resilience, 00:01:58.993 --> 00:02:03.832 reflection, joy, and sisterhood that stay with us long after graduation. 00:02:04.707 --> 00:02:08.336 My Foxcroft sisters and I remain deeply woven into each other's lives, 00:02:08.711 --> 00:02:13.216 showing up with full hearts through every birth, loss, triumph, and setback. 00:02:13.883 --> 00:02:16.177 This bond extends to every alumna 00:02:16.177 --> 00:02:19.180 because Miss Charlotte entrusted the school to us when she died. 00:02:19.806 --> 00:02:24.435 And it is our responsibility to keep her spirit alive in every Foxcroft girl. 00:02:24.435 --> 00:02:27.397 To be a Foxcroft girl is to carry a kind heart, 00:02:27.480 --> 00:02:30.483 a fearless voice, and unshakable joy. 00:02:30.859 --> 00:02:34.737 It is this spark I see radiating now in my own daughter, Ellie, 00:02:35.029 --> 00:02:38.825 as she shines in her junior year along with her fellow Foxcroft sisters. 00:02:39.492 --> 00:02:43.163 And I also see it shining in our new leader, Dr. Lisa Kaenzig, 00:02:43.163 --> 00:02:47.834 who will no doubt guide the next generation of Foxcroft baddies into the future. 00:02:47.834 --> 00:02:48.835 Go Foxes!