Congrats to the Class of 2023!

Congratulations to Bennett Day School’s inaugural class of graduating seniors! Get a glimpse into the unforgettable graduation ceremony and view our most up-to-date college acceptance data.

Posted: August 1, 2023

Congratulations to the Class of 2023

Congrats to Bennett Day School’s inaugural class of graduates! Watch the video below for a glimpse into the intimate and unforgettable graduation ceremony hosted on June 3, 2023, at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium.

Video shot & edited by Masen Colucci with Transit Productions.

Class of 2023 College Acceptance Data

Our inaugural small but mighty class of graduates found phenomenal matches with programs across the country and abroad. The colleges/universities listed below in bold indicate where the class of 2023 decided to enroll.

• University of Arizona
• University of California (Davis)
• University of California (Irvine)
• University of Colorado Boulder
• University of Illinois Chicago
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• University of Michigan
  
• University of San Francisco
• University of Southern California – Los Angeles
• Valparaiso University
  
• Saint Leo University
• Roosevelt University
• Purdue University
  
• Pace University
• Olivet Nazarene University
• Northwestern University
• Morton College
• Michigan State University
• Marquette University
• Loyola University Chicago
• Lawrence University
• Lake Forest College
• Illinois Institute of Technology
• Hobart and William Smith Colleges
• Harold Washington College
• Elmhurst University
• DePauw University
• DePaul University
• Concordia University
• Coe College
• Claremont McKenna College
• Carthage College
• Bradley University
• Ball State University
• Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago
• Arizona State University
• The American University of Paris

Honoring a Group of Truly Remarkable Students 

Enjoy this excerpt from the speech given by Martin Moran, the Lead Designer of Bennett’s Middle and Upper School…

“As we gather here to celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of the first-ever senior class at Bennett Day School, I can’t help but think back to the winter and spring of 2018-2019. Every one of you went through the admissions process and chose to enroll in the Bennett Day Upper School: a school that had no students, no classrooms, no grades, no AP classes…a school that literally did not exist. I stand on this stage and look at you all sitting there, your families in the audience, and just, in all sincerity, say to you: ‘what in God’s name were you people thinking?’

In considering that question, I have what I think might be a decent answer. Each one of you, when you decided to come here, declared that you wouldn’t be just another student at another school, filling a seat and doing what was expected of you until you graduated. You wanted to make a mark. You wanted to be a pioneer, an explorer. You wanted to be part of something bigger–you chose to be the exception. You were not like your peers. At some point, you made the decision not to be part of a “tradition,” whatever that means. You decided to be the ones who created and built the tradition. You decided to eschew the safe and easy path and instead take the opportunity to make a mark. You have done that–boy, have you done that. And I couldn’t be more honored to see you on this stage today. 

So,class of 2023, you are all taking a step into a larger world. You are leaving the place where you have been one of 14 and likely going on to places where you may be one of thousands. But I’m here to tell you that each of you is one of one: You have brought a unique and important voice to every place you’ve been a part of, and I’m absolutely certain that you have learned how to use that voice for good in the four years you’ve been here…

I hope you’re moving forward from your time at Bennett Day knowing that, while we are thrilled at your achievements and your potential, we are, and have always been, more excited about who you are right now as human beings. You are kind, you are thoughtful, and you are curious. You are beautiful. I hope we have instilled in you the understanding that the person you are, the ability you have to understand what you owe to your others, and how you act in accordance with those principles far outstrips any achievement you might attain in your life.

But always remember: no matter what you do in the coming years, you will always be a member of this Bennett Day community. On behalf of everyone on this stage, the faculty past and present, and the entire community, I want you to know that we love you deeply and wish the absolute best for you in whatever comes next. Congratulations class of 2023, I’ll see you on the other side.”

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