I now invite President Jessica Mix to address our graduates.

I'd like to begin by thanking members of our board of directors, our alumni, all members of our community, past and present, and especially our founders, the Sisters of St.

Joseph of Carondolette.

I'd like to thank our incredibly dedicated and talented faculty and staff who are committed to and truly believe in the education of young women.

I would also like to thank all the parents, guardians, and families that have been the primary educators in the home and true partners these past four years.

Your unconditional love and support of your daughters has helped us create a foundation of strength for our graduates.

Dr.

Chapinot and Mrs.

Reinwald, Faye and Isabella shared beautiful words that guided us through the journey these incredible young women have taken during their years with us.

Dr.

Chapineau and Mrs.

Reinwald provided us with this wonderful image of your river at Cron Delette.

How you moved and transformed over your time here.

And I'd like to stay with that image because rivers are more than a metaphor.

They are a testament to how transformation truly works.

A river does not begin in its grandest forms.

It begins as something small and quiet, shaped by its surroundings and building over time.

And yet, over the course of its journey, it gains force, it carves canyons, it becomes the source of life, and it always moves on.

Graduates, as you prepare to leave Caron Delette, you are not being carried by the river.

You are the river.

You have been strengthened by your time here, by your classes, your friendships, your short-term failures, your victories, your relationship with God, and the spirit of sisterhood that surrounds you.

But now it's your time to move forward, to carry what you've gained here at Carondolette into the world and allow it to flow into new spaces, new communities, and to shape new lives.

The world needs you, your voice, your courage, your integrity, your faith, your boldness, your heart, and your leadership.

And I hope that you've picked up on our not so subtle nudges.

We did not prepare you to simply lead.

We prepared you to lead differently.

You are not being sent into the world to seek power for power's sake, or to chase leadership for title alone.

You are being sent forth to lead for others, and with purpose, morality, and faith, to be servant leaders, who use your strength to serve, your voice to uplift, and your influence to create spaces where others can thrive.

But with what do others need.

The kind of leadership that notices the person that is left out, that asks the hard questions, that sacrifices convenience for the sake of justice, that embodies the very mission of our founding sisters of St.

Joseph of Carondolette to be women of unifying love, always moving towards service to the dear neighbor without distinction.

And remember, sometimes caring for your dear neighbor includes caring for yourself, because tending to your own well-being isn't selfish.

It's what strengthens you to show up fully for other people.

Pope Francis once said, rivers do not drink their own water.

Trees do not eat their own fruit.

The sun does not shine on itself, and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves.

Living for others is a rule of nature.

We are all born to help each other, no matter how difficult it is.

Life is good when you are happy, but much better when others are happy because of you.

This is the legacy we hope you carry from Carondalette, that your life is not for yourself alone.

Your talents are not just for your own success.

Your education is not just for a degree.

And what a powerful force you already are.

The class of twenty twenty-five has left its mark on this campus in countless ways.

Through your spirit, your creativity, your scholarship, your laughter, and your resilience.

Like water moving through rock, you have shaped this school in lasting ways.

But your greatest impact still lies ahead.

Women who lead with both conviction and compassion.

Curiosity and faith.

Women who reject the lie that success must come at someone else's expense.

Women who see leadership not as a reward, but as a responsibility.

That real leadership is not about being at the front.

It's about bringing others with you.

It's about listening.

It's about lifting.

It's about loving with purpose.

Like a river gathers streams, leaves, and life along its path.

True leaders collect voices, stories, and strengths, carrying them forward, not for themselves, but for the good of all.

Let your river keep moving.

Keep carving space for others.