{"id":1050,"date":"2025-06-16T13:59:50","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T17:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/?post_type=article&p=1050"},"modified":"2025-06-16T14:00:05","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T18:00:05","slug":"portrait-of-a-graduate","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/article\/portrait-of-a-graduate\/","title":{"rendered":"Portrait of a graduate"},"content":{"rendered":"

To be a graduate of EMS is to know the inherent worth and dignity of all.<\/em><\/p>\n

During our 107th commencement ceremony, Valedictorian Pranav Menon shared a memorable chapel by principal King his freshman year, I am somebody. “While we may joke about it, the message is powerful\u2014a testament to our worth and our capacity to uplift others. It’s a belief I hope remains with us throughout our lives.”<\/p>\n

Pranav transitioned from public school to EMS in 9th grade and was struck by the radical acceptance found among peers, particularly the soccer team. “Each of you welcomed me… this was a gift that no other place could replicate… the small size of our school is our greatest strength.”<\/p>\n

A graduate of EMS holds an ethic of care where everyone is encouraged to grow and thrive.<\/em><\/p>\n

Amy Mumbauer, devoted alumni parent and outgoing board chair with a decade of service on the board, delivered a truly inspirational speech. She said this graduating class will leave future professors and bosses in awe. “You have everything you need to be successful.” She urged graduates to approach life as they do experiential learning trips EMS is known for, asking, “What if all this learning is actually the recipe for building a fulfilling life?”<\/p>\n

A graduate of EMS holds an E-term state of mind.<\/em><\/p>\n

They approach every new season of life as an ongoing journey of discovery. They live each day with the excitement of a new adventure and hold gratitude for the experiences they encounter. Their enthusiasm can inspire others to explore interesting stories, celebrate nature, and connect with the divine.<\/p>\n

A graduate of EMS is radically curious and inclusive<\/em><\/p>\n

“Let’s be attentive to the birdsong on our way to physics and work. Let’s show eagerness to invite and listen to the stories of those we meet. Let’s be curious about what lies beyond our geographical and social borders. Through discussion and conflict resolution, let’s consider that everyone we encounter is a part of our community. Do we have everyone?’ What if we asked ourselves this question daily?
\nIf we achieve nothing else, let’s cultivate a sense of community. The importance of our connections is immense; they are life-giving and transformative.<\/p>\n

A graduate of EMS is a builder and “knows the power of community, understands that they matter, and realizes that success depends not on individuals, but on our collective strength together.” We couldn’t be more proud of the class of 2025.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"

Class of 2025<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To be a graduate of EMS is to know the inherent worth and dignity of all. During our 107th commencement ceremony, Valedictorian Pranav Menon shared a memorable chapel by principal King his freshman year, I am somebody. “While we may joke about it, the message is powerful\u2014a testament to our worth and our capacity to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1051,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"issuem_issue":[41],"issuem_issue_categories":[],"issuem_issue_tags":[],"class_list":["post-1050","article","type-article","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","issuem_issue-summer-2025"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/1050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1050"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/1050\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1054,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/1050\/revisions\/1054"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"issuem_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issuem_issue?post=1050"},{"taxonomy":"issuem_issue_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issuem_issue_categories?post=1050"},{"taxonomy":"issuem_issue_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issuem_issue_tags?post=1050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}