As we prepare to celebrate the Class of 2025 at this year’s Commencement, I find myself reflecting not just on where our students are headed but also on how they got here.

I can guarantee their journey to this moment wasn’t a straight path. It included detours, disappointments, and—for many—failure. And that’s a good thing!

One of the messages I share with families during Open House is this: “I hope your student does fail at something here, at SJNA, and I hope you’re not the first call they make when they do.” It’s a message that often surprises people, but it comes from a belief in the growth that happens when we let young people experience life as it comes—successes, setbacks, and all.

Today’s students are growing up in a world very different from the one previous generations experienced. The pressures are real and constant—social media, academic expectations, athletic demands, the hum of comparison. I can imagine it’s not easy to grow up in a hyper-connected world, and that’s why the relationship between parent and child is more important than ever.