This year’s junior ring ceremony was like none other. Sure, the national anthem sung by soloists or the Treblemkers over the years have impressed ceremony attendees. Alumnae speeches have offered humor and wisdom to leagues of junior classes. Yet no junior ring ceremony quite matches this year’s event performed over Zoom.

Mrs. Derendorf and the 11th Grade Level Mentors, Mrs. Bowman, Mrs. Baker, and Ms. Joyce, created a warm and special atmosphere. As senior class president, Emily Nelson ‘20 offered some thoughtful insights to the rising seniors. Ms Thordarson, a Montrose alumnae, shared her own ring story. Caroline Reichard ‘21 said, “I wish we could have done it all together,” but she added that it was “honestly better than I thought it would be on Zoom.” I did wish that the whole Montrose community could have been there. However, as Isabella Russo ‘21 said, “Mrs. Derendorf, our GLMs, Ms. T and Emily made it feel just as special as every other ring ceremony and I’m grateful that we got to have it!” We even heard elegant ceremonial music in the background before it began.

When Ms. Thordarson filled the active speaker view, her virtual background simultaneously  evoked laughter and some nostalgic tears. She made the A&A stage her background, complete with homecoming balloons, so that we viewed Montrose while she spoke.

Gabriella Bachiochi ‘21 reflected on Ms. Thordarson’s speech: “Ms. Thordarson talked about how her Montrose ring was more valuable to her than her Columbia one. That stood out to me because Columbia is a very prestigious school. This comparison just shows me that the ring stands for so much more than just showing other people where you went to school. I loved that!” And it’s true: the Montrose junior ring symbolizes, among other things, the uniqueness of the Montrose community, a community with which we may stay connected for the rest of our lives. The ring offers us an opportunity to keep that bond to our school alive, because it will offer a physical symbol which we can easily carry with us wherever we go.

The virtual ceremony may not have included parents, all the Montrose students and faculty, or, let’s be real, the mini muffins for juniors only which we’ve been eyeing since sixth grade. But this year’s juniors still have our rings. We will look at our rings a decade or more from now, and smile, and remember that we, like every other Montrosian, are part of the community which Gabriella described. We will look at them and remember that we are called to greatness.

Anna Sheehan ’21, Faith Editor 

21asheehan@montroseschool.org