(Back row, left to right): Jeffrey Halvorsen of Garden City, Justin Williams of Jamaica, Alexander King of Forest Hills, Forrester Pierce of Roslyn, Ashley O'Connor of Hollis, Catherine O'Connell-Stingi of Manhasset, Jillian Arena of Manhasset, Candace Baker of Flushing, Charlotte Otremba of Douglas Manor, Kiki Singh of Muttontown, Sydney Esiason of Plandome, Haley Gahan of Manhasset, Jillian Kupferberg of Muttontown, Maggie Law of Garden City, Travis Carioscia of East Meadow, Eddie Grove of Port Washington, Alexander Beall of Port Washington, Billy Muran of Upper Brookville, and Kristofer Doerfler of Douglaston. (Front, l to r): Miles Schuss of Lido Beach, Leo Gussack of Bayside, Sena Harlley of St. Albans, Nicole Raposo of Old Brookville, Kelsey Gibson of Uniondale, Sabi Dulai of Westbury, Lorraine Shub of Douglaston, Katherine Larsen of Port Washington, Nicole Soviero of Flower Hill, Debbie Wecksell of Great Neck, William Chu of Garden City, Sam Gussack of Bayside, and Brett Phillips of Forest Hills. On June 14, families, friends, faculty, and students gathered at Buckley Country Day School to celebrate the accomplishments of a remarkable group of thirty-two graduates of limitless promise, who have spent anywhere between two and eleven years of their young lives at the school. Many of them literally grew up at Buckley!

Maggie Law introduced Father James Williams, S.M., President of Chaminade High School, who gave the invocation and offered his blessings and prayers to the class of 2006.

President of the Board of Trustees Laurence Denihan presented this year's Trustees' Bowl, the school's highest academic award, to Eddie Grove. The Scholarship Medal for the second highest academic average was awarded to Haley Gahan, while Maggie Law earned the Merit Card for the third highest average.

Katherine Larsen presented the Teacher of the Year Award to Mercer Hall, 7th and 8th grade US history teacher, advisor, and coach. Katherine highlighted Mr. Hall's passion for teaching, dynamic personality, quick wit, and masterful speaking-all qualities that "enable him to engage his students, and bring American history to life," she concluded.

Mrs. Leslie Gulbransen was invited by the graduating class to be their faculty speaker. Sam Gussack introduced Mrs. Gulbransen as a "friend and a mentor who will never leave the hearts of her students."

Buckley was honored to have Caitlin Gibson '02 (Kellenberg, New York University) as this year's alumni speaker. Caitlin, introduced by her sister Kelsey, admitted to having qualms four years ago as she was preparing to leave Buckley, "her second family, and a place of her youth and innocence." She went on to explain that she soon felt at ease thanks to the skills and values that Buckley had given her. Caitlin congratulated the class of 2006 and welcomed them to the real world!

The two student speakers selected by their peers this year were Nicole Raposo and Eddie Grove. In remarkably eloquent and mature ways, both Nicole and Eddie moved their audience with the depth of their remarks and the power of their carefully chosen words. Nicole's comments were like an intricately woven quilt of memories. Eddie's remarks were focused on "repaying a priceless debt to the teachers who have put an enormous amount of time and effort into making us individuals with a strong work ethic and moral fiber, allowing us to look beyond ourselves."

Diplomas were then awarded to the members of the graduating class. Upon hearing their names, the students presented their hand-carved wooden plaques to the new student council co-presidents, Lauren Nathan and John Magovern, and walked across the stage to receive their diplomas. Simultaneously, eighth grade advisors read excerpts from comments written by the students' former teachers, which reminded those gathered of the child in every young adult crossing the stage.