Konrad C. Testwuide, V

2011 Harvey School Commencement Ceremony

Text of Konrad C. Testwuide’s Speech

Ladies and gentlemen, Chairman Eileen Walker, Mr. Fenstermacher, faculty, family, friends and fellow graduates – Welcome to commencement 2011. I’d like to and perhaps you as the audience should thank Mr. Lazzaro and the Model UN program, he runs, for giving me the tools necessary to stand up here and speak to all of you… without mumbling too much. I remember my first practice when I stood up on the stage and could barely speak…after some pained reflection and intense focus I proceeded and lived to speak another day.

We all have been presented with opportunities and challenges while here, and we are near the completion of these challenges. Our time together is almost over. But the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead are limitless. We will finally leave the confines of our homes; we will finally be free of the structure that goes with adolescence. This freedom is exciting, but can also seem daunting. Freedom entails choice. And what I have gathered from experience and speaking with others is that life is what you make of it. Vince Lombardi once said that “the price of success is hard work, and the determination that whether win or lose, we apply the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” No one is going to tell us, that we must make the Headmaster’s List any longer… we are going to have to make the choice — are we willing to commit ourselves to the work that excellence demands, to, in fact, strive for great things.

Last year the commencement speaker, Dr. Rosenfeld, harped on the point that we are all truly fortunate to go to an institution such as Harvey: with teachers who are the best and in his words “give us an education that is a beautiful blend of the arts, sciences and humanities.” He said that because we have been given such extraordinary opportunity, that we must plan to give back.

Reflecting on Dr. Rosenfeld’s speech, his message is now clear to me.

Harvey has given us the opportunity to grow and the tools necessary to succeed. Harvey has created an atmosphere that is welcoming and conducive to our growth as learners, and people. Whether it is Mr. Lazzaro teaching us how to speak in public… the hard way… Mr. Seymour getting us to ask fundamental questions about existence and the meaning of life, Dr. Gignesi teaching us demand shifts and supply shifts but mostly demand shifts or Mr. Kelly teaching us derivatives, and the fundamental theorem of calculus – I feel that I can state with absolute certainty that we have all been given the opportunity to grow, intellectually, philosophically, and socially.

We have learned how to work, be organized, and how to be engaged.

But what makes Harvey so peculiar is that it feels like an extended family. I have often stopped by and eaten dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Kelly; done yard work with Mr. Lazzaro; and probably spent more hours out of the day at Harvey than I do with my family. I lived in a room with Joe Friaoli, and other members of the rugby team for over 11 days at a time…if time was not a factor I could tell some stories…but I digress. This, in my opinion, is what makes Harvey great! Harvey is a community that cares and goes to the greatest lengths to create an atmosphere to help each student succeed. Thank you, Mr. Fenstermacher, for creating and upholding the environment in which this community thrives.

“I can accept failure, but I can’t accept not trying,” Michal Jordan once said. It is a strong belief of mine that the individual, who strives for success by putting forth the greatest effort that they’re given ability will permit, is a person who cannot lose. Surely they can be defeated in the physical contest; however, they are unconquerable when faced with the mental struggle. I feel that if a person strives to reach perfection in all facets of their lives, mentally they will always reach excellence. The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge but rather in a lack of will. If you want something, go out and get it. Don’t hold back!

Before I came to Harvey I was content with just going through the motions of life. I would go to school, never take any notes, and do all my work during class. I got decent grades. I always knew that effort was important, but as long as I completed everything that was due, I was satisfied. After the first marking period freshman year I had a B in physics. WhenI was in Mr. Lazzaro’s advisory meeting, he looked me in the eye and said: “Could you have done more?” I knew little about Mr. Lazzaro other than what others told me, which was, in fact, a bit intimidating. But knowing that I could have done more I began to push myself. I worked hard, and, when that was not enough, I worked harder. I strove for perfection and was only content when I reached excellence. Soon thereafter it hit me: Vince Lombardi was serious when he said, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence … regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” If you told me that when I was I middle school, I would have agreed but my agreement would have been coinciding to my field of recreational video gaming. I would have said yeah, I love to win Madden… the football game… or Halo… the, you know, alien killing game… But I have come to realize that going through the motions of life is only so enjoyable… playing video games is fun but dedication to excellence is where true pleasure lies.

What some people say is that work corrupts people and prohibits them from their true passions. It has enabled me, enabled me to try new things to excel in areas that I thought I would never be interested in. I was never involved in any student organizations, never followed the news or politic. I just went through the motions of life. The teachers here pushed me and for that I am truly thankful. For when you begin to push yourself to your limits in any one field, you begin to push yourself everywhere. Commitment to excellence. Whether you want to be an artist, banker, lawyer or musician, it doesn’t matter. Whatever path you take… be committed, be passionate, and work hard.

Very soon we will cross this stage and receive our diplomas. And I hope that when each one of us accepts them, we are aware that Harvey has provided us so much – however, on the descent of those stairs we will be facing a world that is a little less wholesome and inviting. We will no longer be able to ask Mrs. Stark for a late note, no matter how obscure and or creative…. We will no longer be able to stop by Mrs. V’s warm office of pretzels and tears. On that last step, onto the grass we will be facing a world that demands responsibility and accountability. That doesn’t nurture self-pity but takes advantage of it… A world that doesn’t care about punctuality on the premise that you learn from it but rather that you are just punctual or you’re out.

Harvey has provided us a great environment, but now it is our time to take responsibility for our actions and acknowledge that the world we are about to enter is perhaps a little more demanding and a little less caring.

When we take this diploma, we leave the comfort of Harvey … we have a choice to make. And no one is going to be telling us which is the right choice; no one will say that there are no worries; that we will always be supported… When we accept this diploma the choice which is before you is this: Am I going to be a force for good or am I just going to let someone else take that responsibility upon him or herself. Because that is what Dr. Rosenfeld was talking about: use these opportunities to be a force for good.

Yes, the walk down those stairs can be symbolically daunting… the world that lies ahead is a mystery to us all but let’s go out there and make the most of the opportunities that being born in this democracy and receiving this diploma present.

Before I stop talking I must thank my parents and family for always supporting me and believing in me. My sisters for always being good friends and always finding a way to make fun of me. And my mother for her dedication throughout her life to my family. Please let’s put our hands together for all of our parents and families.

I want to leave you all with a phrase that has defined my upbringing; I try to hold it true to all aspects of my life, thanks to my father… there are no excuses , only choices.

Let’s choose to use this education to be a force for good!

Be committed to excellence, and that means be prepared to be passionate and work hard in what you endeavor you take on.

Congratulations to us, Class of 2011!!!

WE MADE IT!