Brunswick graduated 104 students in the Class of 2025 at its 123rd Commencement Exercises on May 21 — amid cool and rainy conditions that brought hundreds of family members and friends to a ceremony in Dann Gymnasium on Edwards Campus.
 
Head of School Thomas W. Philip introduced the proceedings and asked parents and faculty members to rise and be recognized for the love and care they have shown these young men. 

He also, of course, honored and thanked the graduates. 
 
“Make no mistake, sitting on these stages to my left and right marks a significant achievement,” Philip said. 

“Getting here is not easy, and they have all done it. They have worked incredibly hard. They have represented themselves, the school, and their families incredibly well.”
 
Valedictorian Ryan Ahn introduced Ivy Speaker William O’Reilly, who told the crowd that time spent away from Greenwich, at boarding school, made him realize what makes Brunswick special. 

Life, he said, is not about the journey or the destination, but about the company you keep.
 
“This is a brotherhood,” O’Reilly said. “There really is no place quite like Brunswick.”
 
Brunswick alumnus William E. Reeve ’10, an ABC News correspondent whose family story was told in the 2024 documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story and also the subject of the 2025 ABC special Will Reeve: Finding My Father, served as keynote speaker.

Reeve told a rapt crowd that O’Reilly had already said everything he was going to say, but that the graduate was funnier and had all the inside jokes.

Reeve talked about losing both his mother and father while he was still in Middle School, also revealing that he told his mother two things before she died: That he loved her and that he would be attending Brunswick School.

Reeve learned to write, think critically, and be independent at Brunswick, he said. The school provided an impeccable education while not losing sight of the simple benefits of a firm handshake, good eye contact, and knowing how to tie a tie.

Even with the gifts of a Brunswick education, Reeve advised the graduates to seek more.

“As a student, everything you do is measured, ranked, and sorted,” he said. “Hear me when I say, the really good stuff has no numerical value. The really good stuff is a feeling.

“If you let it, each moment of your life will teach you something about yourself,” he said. “That is education with a capital ‘E’. There is no higher score but wisdom.”

Reeve drew a standing ovation and thunderous applause for his remarks, which closed with this advice: “Write your own papers. Learn with your own brain. Make yourself proud.

“Be reliable, be available, and above all be kind,” he said. 

“Don’t peak in high school. You are equipped for the climb.” 

Here’s the full list of award winners: