Convocation | Remarks by Head of School Polly Fredlund P'25 | September 8, 2025
Good morning, Westover.
Thank you, Tianna, and a very special welcome to our new students. We are so glad you are here. You have demonstrated promise and potential and have earned this opportunity through your hard work. Each of you deserves to be here, and we can’t wait to see you blossom and grow. On behalf of our current students, faculty, staff, families, and alums—welcome to Westover.
I also want to extend a special welcome to our new faculty and staff who are beginning their own Westover journey. You bring talent, energy, and fresh perspectives. You are joining a community of student-centered educators who care deeply about their curriculum and craft.
And to our returning students, faculty, and staff—welcome back. It is so good to see all of you and to be gathered together again. All of us are another year older and wiser, and ready to carry Westover forward, nurturing a school culture that elevates intellectual curiosity, belonging, and well-being.
A special shout-out to the Class of 2026 — are you out there? This is your year. You made it.
Today, we gather in the same spirit that Westover teachers and students have for 117 years. We are part of a legacy of educators and scholars who envision a world bigger and bolder than the one before us.
Our theme for this school year is Purpose. Our founder, Mary Hillard, and the architect of this remarkable building, Theodate Pope Riddle, laid the foundation of Westover with a profound sense of purpose, envisioning a school that would empower young women by igniting their intellect, agency, and voice.
This education is an immense privilege, and with it comes responsibility. As we begin this school year, I ask each of you to reflect on your own purpose. What sits at the intersection of your passions, your talents, and the needs of the world? What gives you quiet strength, and what drives you to take action? What is your reason for being here at Westover? What do you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
This past year, I selected the Pulitzer Prize–winning book James by Percival Everett for the Head of School Book Club. The novel reimagines one of the 19th century’s most notable works, Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, by casting Jim, Huck’s enslaved friend, as the story’s protagonist. Through Everett’s words, Jim’s courage, wisdom, and humanity come vividly to the forefront.
Mark Twain famously said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” Let me say this again and listen carefully, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
In writing James, Percival Everett offers a powerful example of discovering one’s purpose. He found his “why” as a storyteller: to give voice to perspectives that have been historically marginalized, to challenge familiar narratives, and to invite readers to question what they think they know. Through this retelling, he uses his talents and intellect to illuminate injustice, build empathy, and create a story that matters—not just as literature, but as a meaningful contribution to the way we understand our world.
And just as Everett found his purpose as a storyteller, Westover teachers have found our purpose through the transformative power of education. We use our talents and intellect to serve as mentors, advisors, and trusted adults to you—the next generation of scholars, activists, artists, storytellers, and changemakers. Our mission is to guide you through this rite of passage from childhood to adulthood, cultivating along the way your critical thinking, resilience, ability to hold multiple perspectives, and a strong sense of responsibility to contribute to the greater good. We believe that through you, education becomes a powerful catalyst for change and progress.
As your teachers, it is our calling to help you find your purpose—your “why.” In Japan, the concept of purpose is embodied in the word ikigai, which translates to “a reason for being.” Ikigai exists at the intersection of four elements: what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be rewarded or recognized for. When these align, you experience deep fulfillment, and your life is filled with both joy and meaning.
I have found my own purpose leading Westover. As a graduate of a girls’ school, I too experienced the transformative power of an education that placed me at the center. I was given permission to take risks, make mistakes, contribute, and see myself both as a learner and a leader as I grew into one.
As a young educator, I felt a growing responsibility to lead from the front in a profession where 80% of teachers are women, but only 35% of heads of school are women. My own education at a girls’ school taught me that I was not only capable but I also had a duty to step forward. I felt called to contribute, challenge entrenched norms, and move the dial toward gender parity—the equal representation of all genders in positions of power and leadership.
At Westover, ninety-five percent of students self-identify as holding leadership roles—from our student Heads of School to proctors, Glee and Lumina heads, sports captains, club leaders, spirit heads, editorial staff on The Wick and yearbook, and more. This is intentional. It is founded on a deep belief that you can lead from any position—whether introvert or extrovert, thinker or doer, dreamer or realist, artist or scientist, visionary or problem-solver.
It is here at Westover that you will begin to uncover your own purpose. You are poised to unleash your intellect, talents, and potential in an environment designed for you. You are the protagonist in this story, surrounded by a community of educators invested in your growth, success, and well-being. It is here that your purpose will reveal itself, guiding you for years to come through the many chapters of your life.
So as we begin this school year together, I encourage each of you to engage fully, learn with intention, and seek out your “why.” May your curiosity guide you, your spirit move you, and your passions lead you to your purpose.
It is with great joy that I welcome the new school year in community with all of you. Let’s get started.
Be Boldly You
Westover School admits students of any race, color, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin, or disability to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. As a gender-diverse girls school, Westover welcomes applicants and students who are assigned female at birth and/or identify as girls. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational policies, admissions and financial aid policies, and athletic or other school-administered programs.