On Sunday, June 13 Gann Academy held its eleventh commencement ceremony in what was a joyous event celebrating the maturation and success of the class of 2010.
“Through my four years at Gann, I have been given many opportunities to further my learning. Not only was I given ample opportunity for education learning; I have gained insights about myself that have shaped me into a stronger more confident person. My total Gann experience will be a foundation for future learning and growth. I am prepared, ready and excited for new challenges ahead.” – Nicole Snyder
“The Gann community has given me an exciting future to look forward to. Throughout college, I will take the lessons I have learned at Gann and incorporate them into everyday life.” – Nancy Epstein
“Transferring to Gann was really taking my Jewish identity head on, and it was the right choice. I now know what it is like to have a supporting community and I know that the college I am going to is a place where I can nurture and grow my freshly found Judaism, and I am excited to get started and move forward.” – Sarah Marshall
“Gann was able to teach me in every aspect what being a Jew means and so much more. Being a Jew is my destiny, but coming to Gann was my choice and a blessing.” – Rebecca Galinsky
“Whether during Community Service days or on Exploration Week trips, I had countless opportunities to get involved in community service to change the world around me. I am glad I took advantage of so many of these opportunities because they have shaped my identity and helped me grow.” – Alison Pastor
“Gann has allowed me to grow as a Jew, as a person, as a student, and as an American. Many opponents of Jewish day schools claim that students are sheltered and will be overwhelmed when they move away from home. Yet I think that Gann has given us the opportunity to explore our Jewish roots and our American roots. We are not as sheltered as many people would like to think – we are knowledgeable in both Jewish and real world issues. I know that when I move on to adulthood and college next year, I will be able to easily assimilate into the real world.” – Benjamin Kasdan
“Much of the past four years has been made up of learning material through our own experiences. One example would be during my junior year when I traveled to Israel with forty-five of my classmates for three months with the Alexander Muss High School in Israel Program. While we studied in Israel, we took a course that taught us the entire history of the Jewish people, beginning with the creation and finishing with current events. This course incorporated various journeys throughout the land, enabling us to personally experience history with our own eyes. I have learned so much from this personal trip, in addition to the many other experiences that I have had at Gann.” – Benjamin Kintish
“For me, it is the opportunities that I have been given at Gann Academy that I appreciate most: the chance to meet Justice Ginsburg and Barney Frank; the chance to attend an AIPAC convention; and two of the simplest but most significant for me, the opportunities to play varsity lacrosse and soccer. If I had chosen to attend public high school rather than Gann Academy, I can say for certain that I would not have been encouraged or given the opportunity to experience or participate in most, if not all, of these activities that have made my time in high school so memorable.” – Samuel Kusinitz
