Geneva School of Boerne hosted its Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 23, at University Methodist Church in San Antonio. This year’s class of 39 seniors is Geneva’s 16th graduating class.
The Class of 2026 had 15 students who are members of the Geneva Guild which recognizes those who began at Geneva in kindergarten and completed all 13 years at the school. The 2026 Geneva Guild members are Gray Bruner, Abigail Bussey, Trinity Cloud, Harper Deimund, Maggie Deimund, Austin Hodo, Robert Jons, Ben Lee, Alex Malouf, Amelia Morgan, Ella Grace Owens, Logan Reyes, Jax Riddle, Mary Simpson and Emrey Taylor.
The Commencement Exercises began with a prelude of classical music. The processional, “At Long Last,” was played on bagpipes as the faculty and members of the Class of 2026 entered the ceremony. Rhetoric School Headmaster Matt Donnowitz gave the welcome and Tami Ownes, Geneva parent and Volleyball Program Director, offered the opening prayer. Valedictorian Elle Chalmers and Co-Salutatorians Abigial Bussey and Sopris Oglesby each addressed the graduates personally in their speeches before the assembly sang the hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”
Geneva parent and Board Member Nathan Pickle read Ephesians 3:16-20, and President and CEO of the Society for Classical Learning Eric Cook delivered the Commencement Speech. He encouraged the graduates to stay true to Christ as the world encourages them to claim their independence. He charged them to embrace a new kind of dependence—a dependence not upon their parents or others, but upon Jesus who will provide in ways that no other person can.
After the graduates were conferred, the community sang the Alma Mater and the hymn “Non Nobis,” which is Latin for “Not unto us, O Lord, but to Your name give glory” from Psalm 115:1. Rhetoric School Headmaster Matt Donnowitz offered the closing prayer, and the Faculty Choir sang “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” before the Commencement Exercises closed with a bagpipe recessional.