‘Ready to begin your Exeter journey’

Just over 1,100 Exeter students and several generations of faculty members gathered in the Assembly Hall on Friday to celebrate the opening of the Academy’s 244^th school year.

The program began with a procession of current faculty members into the Assembly Hall, to enthusiastic applause from the student body. Adorning the stage were flags from some of the many countries represented in the student body, as well as the Cherokee Nation, Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Osage and United Sioux Tribes.

Principal Bill Rawson ’71; P’08 was joined on stage by Dean of Faculty Eimer Page and a number of Exeter’s new faculty members — including new Dean of Students Ashley Taylor — longest-serving instructors, and emeriti faculty members. After Page introduced this multi-generational group, Rawson began his remarks by welcoming the 369 new students beginning their Exeter journeys, who come from 31 states and 28 countries.

“I like to tell our new students what I would have appreciated hearing as a new lower,” Rawson said. “You can do the work. You will make lifelong friends. Absolutely, you belong here.”

After reading from the school’s Deed of Gift, according to opening assembly tradition, Rawson reflected on the goals of the school’s founders when they signed that document in 1781. “In essence, John and Elizabeth Phillips were saying that your time here matters,” he said. “It matters to your personal development as human beings, and it matters to the world, because the education you receive here will provide the foundation for your purposeful lives.”

Rawson continued by sharing three goals of his own, both for the students and the school, during the coming academic year. The first, he said, was simply for students to have fun.

“I want you to find joy in knowing that you belong here, in discovering that there are other students here with similar interests and passions, and in building lasting friendships with students who initially might seem very different from you,” he said. “Having fun does not mean you will not work hard… . As you rise to the challenges that come your way, you will begin to understand your capacity to meet those challenges.”

>> Read Principal Rawson's full remarks

Rawson said his second goal was for students to “embrace fully our commitment at Exeter to seeking complex truths,” a concept outlined in the school’s core value statement of academic excellence.

“The learning we seek at Exeter starts with being open to different points of view,” he said. “It requires listening to other perspectives with empathy, humility and respect, and with the understanding that learning at Exeter is a collaborative process.”

Finally, Rawson urged students to begin the year with gratitude. “It is an extraordinary privilege to be part of this community,” he said. “I hope you will always be grateful to your teachers and all the other adults, here and at home, who support you during your time at Exeter.”

After Rawson concluded his opening assembly remarks with the traditional words “Senior Class,” younger students and faculty remained seated (also according to tradition) as the Class of 2025 rose and exited the Assembly Hall.