Board Chair Jason Brauer ‘94 Speaks at Commencement

As Chair of the MICDS Board of Trustees, Jason Brauer ’94 helps preside over Commencement, issuing diplomas to all candidates for graduation. Brauer took a few moments to address the Class of 2026, made even more special by the inclusion of his daughter, Mia. Here are his remarks.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, welcome to the MICDS Commencement Ceremony and congratulations to the remarkable Class of 2026!

I want to start by acknowledging something this class already knows…you’ve been through a lot.

Born during the Great Recession, you made it through your middle school years in the middle of a global pandemic, learning remotely, then behind masks. You came of age alongside the rapid arrival of artificial intelligence. You watched the campus you love change around you, including “renovations” to our beloved Beasley schoolhouse where so many of you took your first MICDS steps as four- and five-year-olds.

You had to comply with the school’s first ever cell phone ban. And now… your graduation is on a Monday!?!? Sorry… too soon?

But before I go any further, I should pause here and make a small confession. I’m standing here today as Board Chair, but I’m also standing here as a very proud dad.

Hi Mia.

So, when I tell you I’ve been an especially close observer of this group, I mean it in every sense of the word. I’ve watched friendships form in kindergarten that are still going strong today. I’ve seen this class through carpools and class trips, middle school growing pains, and high school triumphs.

Across all that time, I’ve come to believe something I want to share with you and with everyone gathered here.

This class is extraordinary. Perhaps not in spite of the adversity this class has faced… but because of it.

Resilience is not something you can teach in a classroom. It’s something you build, quietly, over years, when the world around you keeps shifting and yet you keep showing up. That is what you have done.

You should be proud…but I also want to be clear about one thing: you did not do it alone.

Through every disruption and uncertain moment, you’ve had a constant group of partners by your side. The exceptional faculty and staff of this school, who showed up for you every day, even when so much else was unsteady. Your family members in these stands, who held the line at home so that you could keep moving forward. People without whom none of us would be here today… and people without whom you would not be so remarkably well prepared to thrive no matter what comes next.

So, Class of 2026, as you walk across this stage, know two things:

First, you are ready. The evidence is overwhelming, and the people who know you best are in unanimous agreement.

And second, we are not going anywhere. The faculty, the staff, your families, this Board, this entire community… we will always be by your side, reminding you of all you have accomplished, all you have come through, and all you are capable of doing in the years to come.

So, with that, please join me on behalf of the Board of Trustees…and as one very proud dad…in congratulating the great Class of 2026!