Time To Try New Things

/ lawrenceacademynews

By John Bishop

Kevin Weaver ’20 Welcomes the LA Community to the 2019 – 2020 School Year

Groton, Mass. — As per the norm at Lawrence Academy, this morning’s all-school assembly — marking the start of the first day of classes — was student-focused.

That student-centered approach takes on many forms throughout a semester (year or career), but today LA’s 2019 – 2020 senior class president, Kevin Weaver, turned a mirror on himself and his classmates.

Senior Class President Kevin Weaver addressing the student body in the RMPAC.

Turning inward, Weaver reminisced about his own first few steps at LA and how he came to be standing on the big stage addressing the community.

“When Mr. Scheibe approached me and said he wanted me to talk about the school mission, I was extremely excited because it’s near-and-dear to my heart,” said Weaver.

“The first time I read the school mission, I was sitting in this RMPAC back three years ago,” continued the senior. “Mr. Scheibe told me, my parents, all of the other new students and all their parents that here at Lawrence Academy; we’ll figure out who we are and we’ll be able to find out who we’re going to become.

“I remember that moment,” he added, “because it seemed like an extremely daunting task.”

With the four-year assignment in hand, Weaver — the freshman — asked himself: “How am I going to figure out what I’m going to become? That’s big.”

The Senior Class Cabinet posing with Head of School Dan Scheibe after the assembly.

However, today’s Kevin told the RMPAC hat there wasn’t one big decision to make. No, Weaver explained that becoming one’s true self is a lifelong process that begins with many little choices; many of them made in high school.

“When you’re figuring out who you want to become, it’s down to the day-to-day; it’s down to the moment,” he emphasized. “Figuring out who you want to become is sitting with new kids cause you want to make new friends at your new school.

“Figuring out who you want to become is thinking all summer and realizing, ‘You know what, this year I’m going to push myself. This year I’m going to take an honors class.

“Figuring out who you want to become is finding your comfort zone, and realizing the right time to step out of it and try new things.”

And this was Weaver’s most crucial point.

“This is the perfect time to try new things,” said Kevin. “All of you freshmen out there… [three] years ago I said I wanted to be up here.

“And I realized the only thing stopping me was me.

“So, everyone, welcome to Lawrence Academy,” he said.