Gilian Meyers

Year graduated 8th grade: 2014

High School: Vintage High School, Napa

College: UC Berkeley, started Fall 2018

EBWS: Hi, Lily. What are you going to study in college?

LILY: I intend to double major in global studies and society & environment. I haven’t chosen a minor but I am interested in music or linguistics.

How was your transition to high school?

LILY: At first, it was difficult, because I was going to a school in an entirely different area. Most of my Waldorf friends knew people in high school because of sports or camps in the Bay Area, but because I went from a school in El Sobrante to a school in Napa, I didn’t know anyone. As time went on I met people and built relationships and I felt much better socially.

Academically? (Did you feel ready?)

LILY: I was nervous before starting but when I got there I realized that I was far more prepared than most of my peers. I had a much broader world view and range of knowledge to draw from and felt overall more well-rounded than other students.

Socially? (Was it hard to go from little school to big school?)

LILY: The size change was less difficult than the fact that I just didn’t know anyone.

How are you like the other students you met? How might you be different?

LILY: We’re all young kids. Most of us have the same interests and hopes and anxieties. Going through the college application and admission/rejection process really revealed how much we all struggled and worked through the same things, regardless of educational background. My freshman year I did find myself to be more self-aware and emotionally mature than my non-Waldorf peers. I wanted to discuss issues and ideas whereas a lot of my peers were more likely to talk about themselves or their friends.

Activities or achievements in high school?

LILY: In high school, I sang in the choir and performed in two musicals. I played three sports: basketball, water polo, and swim team. I won various awards from my teams throughout high school such as “most inspirational” and “most valuable” player. I founded the Teens for Change environmental and community service club and was the president for all 4 years. I received many awards from my school such as Crusher of the Month, Principal’s Scholar Athlete award, Lamp of Knowledge, and others. My senior year I earned the California State Seal of Biliteracy.

Activities or achievements in college?

LILY: Not yet!

Looking back, what in your Waldorf education do you think has helped you the most in going through high school and college?

LILY: It’s so hard to pick one, but I think the most impactful thing was simply the well-roundedness and opportunity to learn in so many different ways (through movement, hands on activity, discussion, lecture, performance, etc.) Learning through so many different approaches gave me such a wide breadth of knowledge and understanding of the subtleties of various topics.

What are you doing now? Or what’s next for you?

LILY: Headed off to college and the great unknown. I hope to study abroad and dip my toe into as many different subject as I can

Professionally? Hobbies?

LILY: Professionally, I have yet to decide. My hobbies include singing and listening to music, hiking, going to the beach and reading.

Read Gilian’s graduation speech from Napa's Vintage High

Gilian’s graduation speech from Napa’s Vintage High

Family, friends, staff, and most importantly, graduates, congratulations on this monumental milestone. It is my absolute joy to be addressing you today.

It’s a little funny that I stand here speaking to all 4000+ of you, because when I graduated the 8th grade, a whopping 12 students, including myself, walked across the stage to be handed diplomas.

You see, I graduated 8th grade from a Waldorf school. And although I won’t confuse us all with trying to explain the anthroposophical curricular elements of Waldorf education, I would like to share with you one core tenet that has guided me as I’ve continued my educational journey, the idea of living and learning with one’s Head, Heart and Hands. In other words, Thinking, Feeling and Doing/Taking Action.

I know it seems simple, but it is often the the simplest things in life that matter the most. Too often, we get caught up chasing extravagant dreams, our heads full of unrealistic notions of grandeur and we forget to slow down enough to appreciate the small wonders that happen around us every day. We forget to rejoice each time the sun rises. We forget to express gratitude for the air filling our lungs and the breeze rustling our hair. When we walk off this field today, I hope we can all find a way of incorporating a philosophy of simplicity in our daily lives.

Let us use our Heads, to think critically and for ourselves. Let us analyze and question everything, and seek wisdom with the same ferocious passion with which we seek success. We live in a society with a “more” mentality. More money. More letters after your name, more universities attended. However, rarely do we seek more actual knowledge or in-depth understanding. We don’t place emphasis on expanding our consciousness or becoming truly wiser. But we can remedy that. From now on, each time you attend a class or a lecture or watch an instructional video, I beg you to open your mind and truly listen. Question what is being said. Formulate counter arguments. Forget about being tested or evaluated, and listen to yourself. YOU will know when you understand something and when you need to continue searching. Don’t let a number or a letter grade determine when you stop searching.

Let us use our Hearts to extend empathy and compassion towards everyone, no matter what they’ve done, for, as Louisa May Alcott once wrote, “Love casts out fear, and gratitude can conquer pride.”

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, let us use our Hands to take action. Thoughts and feelings are important, but ultimately it is the action that we take which makes a difference. Let us stand up for what we believe in. Let us take the initiative to build the society we want to live in, brick by brick. Let us march confidently toward a brighter and better future. And let us always pick one another up, and extend our Hands to those in need, for the road is long, with many a winding turn. We need each other to lean on. Life is hard. And lonely and exasperating and painful and confusing. But it is also wonderful. And full of light and joy and beauty. And none of it is meant to be experienced alone.

Thank you for listening, and congratulations to the graduating class of 2018! I wish you luck as you begin to navigate life’s winding turns.

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