BHS Graduates throw their caps in the air. Photo by Miu Tung Rong
Friends and family gathered at Cypress Field on Sunday to celebrate the 531 graduates of Brookline High School’s Class of 2025.
The graduation ceremony opened with a welcome from Associate Dean Jenny Longmire, followed by multilingual greetings from international students in celebration of the more than 70 languages spoken throughout Brookline High hallways.
Sarah Moghtader, vice chair of the School Committee, congratulated the Class of 1975 on its 50th graduation anniversary. Although decades have passed, the classes of 2025 and 1975 are connected by their vision, courage and creativity, Moghtader said.
In an address to her fellow graduates, Rou-Qian “Esther” Wang discussed her experience attending high school in America as a first-generation immigrant from Taiwan. The last few years were filled with self-exploration, friendship and support from her community, she said.
BHS graduate Rou-Qian “Esther” Wang addresses the crowd. Photo by Muayad Al-Barwani
“My time at Brookline has taught me courage — courage to stand out and be different,” Wang said. “The second family I found here has helped me navigate the surreal landscape of an American high school.”
Two student music groups, Band 504 and the MCs, performed during the ceremony.
In a speech to his graduating class, senior Elias Brendel quoted Thomas Jefferson on the importance of an educated society. Recent political debates and attacks on education make the Class of 2025’s insight more critical than ever, he said.
“For the past four years, BHS has prepared us to be good stewards of our democracy, not just by accumulating knowledge, but by cultivating discernment,” Brendel said.
Link to Slideshow of Brookline High School graduation on June 8, 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEnvl3wcaDA
During his keynote speech, MIT graduate and Brookline alum Danny Kanamori reminded students that life is not luck but a series of choices. He encouraged graduates to forge healthy relationships through kindness, which “comes from willingness to favor empathy and not fall slave to sympathy.”
The self-described “worst hire Morgan Stanley had ever made” joked about the unexpected twists that have occurred in his own life and career. Kanamori urged the graduates to embrace failure and resist fears of public perception.
“The war on others is not a coincidence,” Kanamori said. “Find the people you disagree with most and understand how they got there.”
Derek Choi, whose daughter, Clara, graduated Sunday, said in an interview that the school’s strong sense of community and inclusive environment helps students become better people.
Aidan Kapusta, who will study biology at Cornell University in the fall, said he will cherish Brookline’s charismatic and supportive teachers. Timur Tuncman, who is headed to the University of Chicago, said his teachers and peers from the past four years have strongly impacted him.
Graduate Miles Nygren, who will study psychology at the University of Southern California in the fall, said after the commencement he will miss the freedom Brookline High gives its students.
“From freedom of thought to freedom of expression, it’s really special how much they let us be ourselves and think for ourselves,” he said.