Seniors Present 2024 Hemenway Speeches

April 25, 2024—Earlier this month, the senior class gathered in the David E. and Stacey L. Goel Theater to witness every member of Class VIII deliver their very own five-minute Hemenway speech.

This year marks the 111th Annual Hemenway Prize for Speaking Competition, which has its roots in the core Winsor value of speaking one’s mind. Seniors share something that they have learned, something that matters to them, or something they want others to understand from their perspective. More than just a platform for soon-to-be graduates to showcase writing and presentation skills, the competition is a unique and powerful bonding experience.

The all-day event is a highlight of the senior spring, and “Hemenway Day” is chock full of memory-making moments ahead of Commencement. As students present to each other and a panel of judges, everyone makes note of their favorite speeches. Together the judges—along with input from all 67 members of Class VIII—select six finalists.

Head of School Sarah Pelmas introduced the finalists and spoke about the history of the annual competition at assembly. Every year she blocks off time in her schedule to attend Hemenway Day. “Together they weave a picture of a class that is passionate about changing the world, honoring one another, and fighting for equity and justice everywhere,” said Ms. Pelmas of the Class VIII speeches

This year’s finalists—Skylar Goldstein ’24, Gia Bharadwaj ’24, Stella MacLean ’24, Sophie Lim ’24, Annie Fisher ’24, and Deedee Ansari ’24—took the stage during all-school assembly to share stories that ranged from comical to serious. The speeches explored topics such as watching women’s sports and using soccer as a tool for social change, giving life’s failures the love and celebration they deserve, leaning into procrastination and rejecting societal pressure to feel rushed, finding the balance between passion and purpose, resisting the urge to see kindness as a transaction, and cultivating empathy for those whose struggles may seem distant.

The judges for this year’s competition are History Department Head and Alice C. Jenckes Chair in History Ann-Marie Holland, Physics Faculty and Institutional Researcher Denise Labinec, and Winsor alumna Sara Marlenga Powers ’05. Based in Boston where she is a senior manager at Bain & Company, Inc. she carved out time in her schedule to hear this year’s finalists. The speeches are judged based on substance, organization, style, presentation, and clarity. The winner of today’s presentations will be announced at the Awards Celebration in June.

Established by an original Corporator, Harriett Hemenway, the Hemenway Prize for Speaking Competition traces its roots to 1913. The competition challenges seniors to develop and deliver a speech of substance, and reflects Winsor’s long-held belief in the importance of public speaking skills and the ability to speak one’s mind. A strong, outspoken woman and animal rights activist, Ms. Hemenway founded the Mass. Audubon Society in the late 1800s.