Mother Anna Grace, Prioress General of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia; Members of the General Council of the Dominican Sisters; Sister Dominic, President of Overbrook Catholic School and St. Cecilia Academy; Sister Josemaria, Principal of St. Cecilia Academy; Sisters, Faculty, Friends, Family, and Graduates of the Class of 2026

“What does it mean to be a St. Cecilia girl?”

 

Over the course of the past 4 years, I have often questioned this. Does it mean that we wear long skirts and stiff button ups? Does it mean that we spend 8 hours a day, five days a week with the Dominican sisters? I know there is much more to it, and I will share with you what I think it means to be a St. Cecilia girl...

I have been attending school on this campus for the past 8 years, and I consider the past 4 some of the most transformative of my life. I am lucky that I got the chance to call St. Cecilia home. It is not just a building- it is the place where I found my sisters. One would think that attending an all-girl’s high school would only consist of cliques, gossip, and drama. However, these are not the words I think of when I think of SCA. When we applied, we were sold a “sisterhood”- which I assumed was a grand marketing scheme because, to be truthful, how close can 58 teenage girls be? I interpreted this sisterhood as a place where everyone was best friends, which I thought was unattainable. However, as soon as I walked up the steps and through the doors of St. Cecilia Academy at Freshman Orientation, I realized how wrong I was. There was something different about this place- something I could not name at the time. Now I know that St. Cecilia is special because it fosters a sisterhood rooted in three things: support, sacrifice, and shared experiences.

Of all my days attending St. Cecilia, I cannot name a single one where no one supported one of their fellow scarabs. From our very first day at Freshman Overnight, where we helped each other carry our bags, we showed up for each other. During spirit week our freshman year, we were clueless and lost, but through activities like Powerpuff, we rallied behind each other. No matter if someone was playing or cheering, they contributed to the team and built community and sisterhood within our class. Sophomore year, we continued to support each other through every moment, including the infamous chemistry labs of Sister Mary Albert- one thing is for certain- we know how to draw a straight line and cross lines out like professional chemists.

During Junior year, the real trials and tribulations of the third quarter research paper, 25 APUSH LOQs in one night, and the beginning of the college search began. We drew on each other's strength during our junior year, bonding us even tighter together. Finally, during senior year, we had the chance to support and celebrate with each other as our hard work paid off. Despite the process being the very thing to take us away from our homes and our sisters, we relied on each other to get through college applications. We also supported each other in our victories- whether that be in Memphis for the state cross country meet or at SCA for the opening night of Hello Dolly. Over the past four years, our support for each other has allowed our bonds to deepen. Our sisterhood was built and strengthened through every victory, spirit week, deadline, match, dance, exam, or project.

Second, our sisterhood is rooted in sacrifice. Over my time at SCA, I have seen so many girls make sacrifices for their classmates. I have seen students of all grades staying late at SCA to support the varying sports teams. As a volleyball player, it was always an experience unique to SCA to have family and friends so close to the court. The fact that people chose to spend their time supporting their sisters instead of studying meant so much to the players. During these games, St. Cecilia truly felt like a family. There have been countless times where people have stayed up late to explain different homework concepts to their friends or have woken up early to go to Starbucks to get a friend a quick pick-me-up. Sacrifice has become second nature to our class, where we place the needs of others above our own. These acts, rooted in selflessness and sacrifice, have only strengthened the SCA community.

Lastly, SCA brings students together and transforms them into sisters through shared experiences. SCA is rooted in tradition- and these traditions bring the girls together. In our first few months freshman year, we found our new older sisters during freshman senior week- and these girls served as mentors who formed our understanding of what it meant to be a St. Cecilia girl. We then became older sisters our senior year to our freshmen. Traditions like these truly bring different grades together, showing how the St. Cecilia sisterhood is not divided by grade level. Other experiences have brought our class together as well. This includes our rendition of Midsummer Night’s Dream with Dr. Haynes, where I had the honor of playing a wall. There is also our weekend at Camp Marymount for the Sophomore Service Retreat, where we spent the weekend giving back to the community, forming new and unexpected friendships, and singing by the campfire. For the AP Chemistry students, we bonded when we launched a rocket into a tree and then worked together to build a massive pole to get it out. Despite our failure, we gained a core memory. This year, we started the year with Senior Sunrise and ended it with our walkout and Lock-in, where we spent some of our final moments together as sisters. We have formed a sisterhood, which has made saying goodbye so much harder.

Now, our sisterhood will last beyond graduation, and the lessons we have learned will last throughout our lifetime. We have learned that a true sisterhood and community involve support, sacrifice, and shared experiences. As Proverbs 17:17 reminds us, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." My time at SCA has taught me that a friend loves at all times and a sister is born for adversity. Through both good and difficult experiences, we can rely on our sisters to stand by our side and help us through it. We have learned that the best bonding experiences are unexpected and sometimes difficult. That we should take each day at a time and value those around us. That we should give to those around us, because they are our sisters and brothers in Christ. St. Cecilia has taught us so much and has prepared us to enter the world with dignity and virtue.

 

As we leave here today, I would like to emphasize one last time how lasting St. Cecilia’s legacy is. When we sing our beloved alma mater, we scream, “Ne’er forget you!” and this statement could not be more true. I have seen it in my own sisters, who graduated over ten years ago and are still proud to be St. Cecilia girls. I have seen it in the alumnae who currently work at SCA and are always excited to talk about their time here. No matter how much time will have passed since our graduation, every St. Cecilia girl we meet will feel like family. Whenever you meet an alum, you will often be asked, “Is Mr. Horn still there?” “Yes, he is” and “Are you still practicing in that ancient gym?” And you’ll reply, “We sure are, but not for much longer.” Most alumnae still know the alma mater by heart, and the tune is ingrained into their memories. Some of us will be teachers, doctors, lawyers, actresses, architects, nurses, amusement park owners, or pilots... No matter where we are going, we always have our sisters to fall back on. We will always be each other’s biggest cheerleaders, and we will always stand up for our sisters, whether it be as bridesmaids at each other’s weddings or as we go through one of life’s many challenges. We leave Saint Cecilia knowing that we do not have to travel life’s journey alone- we will always stand beside one another, and this diploma does not diminish our sisterhood but rather seals it.

Mother Anna Grace, Prioress General of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia; Members of the General Council of the Dominican Sisters; Sister Dominic, President of Overbrook Catholic School and St. Cecilia Academy; Sister Josemaria, Principal of St. Cecilia Academy; Sisters, Faculty, Friends, Family, and Graduates of the Class of 2026:

 

Good evening. My name is Grace Bauer, and tonight, I have the incredible honor of speaking to you all about the last four years this group of amazing young women have spent together as a family. Some of us have known each other since birth, and others, we have only known for a little over a year, but every girl that sits behind me now is undoubtedly an integral part of our class, and each one is uniquely loved within. I am an incredibly emotional person, and I love very deeply, so I’m going to do my very best not to cry, but I apologize in advance if that happens; and if I cry, know that it’s not so much out of sadness, but more out of pride and love for my class and all that we’ve accomplished.

 

Before I get to my main point in this speech, I want to take a minute to reminisce on some of my favorite memories that we’ve had as a class in these four years. Anyone who read Jane Eyre with our substitute teacher freshman year still vividly remembers the mildly traumatizing viewing of that movie in class. Ms. Provident’s cookies during a geometry test were a major highlight that everyone looked forward to, and freshman overnight was when we made new connections for the first time.

Sophomore year, we bonded over the hilarious experience of acting out A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Dr. Haynes, and I think to this day, still none of us really know the true plot of that story. There was also that time that a group of us ate lunch on the White House lawn and had to go home because they had sprayed it with chemicals earlier that day, and people were having allergic reactions. And Sophomore Service Retreat is pretty unanimously one of our favorite memories because of the time we got to spend together at Camp Marymount and serving the community of Nashville; we talk about that weekend pretty often.

 

Junior year, we fought our way through third quarter, balancing way too many things and trying to write a research paper good enough to be presented at the research symposium. Heimler’s History collectively got us through APUSH, and procrastinating on our unit LOQs until the night before all 25 of them were due bonded us in ways I can’t explain. Anybody who’s taken a math class with Sister Nicholas Marie knows the dread of being called to the whiteboard to do problems in front of the class.

And this year, attempting to keep good grades in classes while fighting the disease known as “senioritis” has been a struggle. Every year a major highlight is scrambling to get a million spirit week decorations done at Clara’s house (thank you, Mrs. Stefansic) the night before Spirit Week starts. As for Senora, the cultural celebrations were a lovely way to spend our Spanish classes, with my famous Oreo truffles, Natalie’s homemade decorated cupcakes, and Annabella’s amazing “arepas con queso”. And senior lock-in, just last week, we went on a ghost tour of campus, in which Mrs. Carson scared the living daylights out of us, and we ran all the way back to the school, laughing with fear and locking arms as protection. I think my favorite memories, however, come from this year, and getting to celebrate everyone in our class for the things we’ve done and how far we’ve come.

On that note, if I had to choose one word to describe our class as a whole, it would be the word gifted. Maggie has broken the school record for more running events than I can keep track of, Clara is the best class president we could ask for, and Matilda has the ability to make any work of art come to life. Saba can solve any math problem you throw at her, Hannah should already be on Broadway, and Georgia has one of the strongest and most perseverant characters of anyone I know. I could go on to say something like that for every single one of the 58 members of the Class of 2026, but for the sake of time, we’ll stick to those six.

Each girl has unique talents and different personalities, and we’ve had the incredible privilege to help each other grow in those and celebrate them for the past four years. 

But not everything is sunshine and rainbows, and we’ve made it through some tough spots too. Everyone has struggles, each different and important, but those struggles really show you who your true friends are, and in this class, many unexpected friends have been made because of those hard times. Whenever prospective families ask me what my favorite part is of SCA, my immediate response is that I have full confidence that if I ever needed anything, I could call any one of the 57 other girls in my class, and they would be there to help me in whatever way I need. And I hope all of you know I would do the same, even as we go off to college and are hundreds of miles away from each other. Because this class isn’t just a group of people who went to high school together; it’s a family. And it’s a family that we have chosen. I can’t wait for our breaks from college when we can come back to Nashville and meet up for coffee or lunch, and I know many cross-country visits will be made from college to college. I already have a list of colleges I want to go to, so I can see some of the girls I hold closest to my heart, and I am so excited for people to visit me; my door is always open.

As many of you know, crying is how I express emotions, and I have done much crying this year every time we experienced one of our “lasts”. But that crying is also because I am so proud of these girls behind me, and I am so excited to see where life takes all of us. I want so many things for each of you, and I know that God has such beautiful things planned for everyone. Before we graduate, I want you all to think about a few things, and I want you to remember the word “gifted” from earlier.

Class of 2026: I hope you strive to excel in all areas, but especially with the gifts God has given you.

 

Each of you has unique talents and a distinct purpose here, and even if you don’t see it, you make an impact on everyone around you, even if it’s just the person you pass on the street. I know everyone here has made an impact on me individually, at least, so if you don’t see that anywhere else, know that you all have shaped me to be a better person, each girl contributing in a special way.

I hope you remember to be kind, even when someone might not deserve it. We’re all experiencing life for the first time, so give a little grace. It takes nothing to be kind, but cruelty takes away from both people involved. You never know how much impact your words have on someone – a kind word to a stranger on the street might save someone’s life, and you won’t even know it.

I hope you recognize your worth and love yourself with your whole heart. Right now, we are at a point in our lives where we are trying to figure out who we are, so make yourself the person you want to be, and love that person freely, because that person is still the little girl who couldn’t wait to grow up and be a princess. Make your younger self proud, and do things not for anyone else, but for you. Because you are worth it. You have so much value, and your presence adds so much to this world, and I hope you know that. If you ever need someone to remind you, find me, and I’ll tell you all the ways you are good and worthy of love.

I hope you persevere through the hard times, putting your faith in the right people and looking to brighter days. You might not have control over the things happening around you, but you are in charge of how you respond to it, and that makes all the difference. Remember to thank God for the good times and ask Him for help in the bad, and keep Him at the center of your life.

You are stronger than the things that happen to you, and everyone sitting here is a testament to that. No matter what you’ve been through or will go through, you can and will rise above. I know that because I know you.

I hope you know that no matter what happens, there will always be people who are proud of you and love you, and you can always come back to this sisterhood when you need someone to encourage you and lift you up. You are someone to be proud of, and this group of girls is always here to remind you of that.

I hope all these things for you and more, and I cannot wait to see where the future takes you.

 

1,368 days ago, on August 16^th of 2022, we walked into the front doors of Saint Cecilia Academy for the first time as freshmen, and last week, on May 8^th, 2026, we walked out of those same front doors for the last time as high school students. But it won’t be the last time we’re here, or the last time we see each other, because this family is forever, and it’s somewhere we can always find solace.

I’m going to finish this with my favorite bible quote that has sustained me for the past six years, and although it’s meant to be read as something God tells us, I’d also like you to think of it as something that comes from our class, and from me to you all. Isaiah 43 says, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; when through the rivers, they won’t sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you won’t be scorched, and the flame won’t burn you. I am the LORD your God, the holy one of Israel, your savior. Because you are precious in my eyes, you are honored, and I love you. So do not fear, for I am with you.”