GA Alum Bonnie French Returns to Greenwich Academy to Address Newly Inducted Members of The Cum Laude Society

On Thursday, March 8, 2007 former mathematics and music instructor Bonnie French '97 returned to GA to address the seven new members of The Cum Laude Society. Bonnie was introduced by mathematics teacher and secretary of Greenwich Academy's Cum Laude chapter, James Murdock. The following is the inspiring speech Bonnie gave before the Upper School and the recipients of one of Greenwich Academy's highest honors:

A few words of thanks before I begin…
Thank you to the Academy for inviting me today.  I like to think that I have a history here of speaking my mind, so I appreciate the vote of confidence that your invitation implies…

Thank you to Mr. Murdock for your phone calls and emails in preparation…I should tell you that I tried so hard to emulate you as a teacher: knowledgeable, challenging, caring, fun…you had a laid-back style that at the same time inspired dedicated learning—and it turns out that I’m way too much of a control freak to teach like you do, but oh well…

I would be seriously remiss if I didn’t mention another person.  Because she happens to be leaving at the end of this year (for your sake, hopefully temporarily) …my mother, Mrs. French, whom some of you know.  GA’s best qualities resemble you because of the empathy, warmth, and humanity that you have brought to this campus, day after day, for 30 years. 
I’m not sure that all of the students in the room fully grasp your impact, but the faculty and staff certainly do.

The whole speech could be appreciation and recognitions, but this is my speech, after all, and I have a few things I would like to say.

 My sincere congratulations on your academic successes.  And while we are all here today in honor of your collective accomplishments, I will direct my words to all of the students, as you all have made the same, daily investment in your future by attending GA.

Greenwich Academy is an incredible institution.  I left here, and you will leave here, with an exceptional preparation for college.  It was here, probably during a van ride to a math team competition, that I accepted my nerdiness.  In many ways, GA felt like a race to some distant finish line with different colored shirts acting as mile markers.  Achievement was my goal. 
I’m sure that all of my former teachers who remain could attest to the fact that nothing less than perfection was satisfying for me.  I’m not trying to brag here, (I should insert a line modeled after our current president that says: you, too can get a C+ first quarter in Biology and become Valedictorian…)

I just feel like I’m in the presence of people who might relate to this illogical goal of perfection.  And I have something to offer you.  If there is one lesson that I’ve internalized in the ten years since leaving GA, it is that perfection doesn’t really exist and there is a true difference between achievement and knowledge.

I guess that was 2 things…

My path to these realizations was not direct nor clear, but, in hindsight, certain moments and decisions stand out.

The first defining moment on this journey was the day I failed my chapter 1 bio test freshman year (the very one which caused the C+ and the one to which many, many people told me not to worry because I wouldn’t remember it in ten years).  Anyway, my mother was so happy that I think she prepared a celebratory dinner—the lesson being that for someone who was so achievement-oriented, it was more valuable for me to learn that I could fail at something and survive than it was to get a good grade on this particular test. 

By some stroke of good fortune, after GA, I found my way to Swarthmore College.  I was surrounded by students who were each so brilliant and passionate about their respective areas of study.  For me, it was a liberating experience.

There were actually many moments when I understood that I was no where near the highest achiever there—the freedom that came with that realization prompted a shift of focus from what I was good at to what I enjoy. 
Fear of disappointing my GA teachers—the math department, in particular—slowly faded as I realized two things: one: my teachers’ support was not contingent upon my studying their specific subject, and two: the only person I really had to answer to was myself.  So my ‘major’ morphed from engineering to math to music.  Music was such a vital part of my student life at GA, and it was thrilling to have the opportunity to academically engage with what I loved most.

After college, I began to teach—first in Philadelphia and then here.  Few people have the chance to return to their alma mater in a different capacity, and I cherish the three years that I spent here as a teacher.  Not only did I reconnect with former mentors, but I also had the opportunity to work with many of you either in the classroom or through athletics—and I got to fulfill one major life dream: being a music teacher.  For that I will always be grateful. 

Teaching led me to yet another shift in my outlook.  There are no external rewards in teaching—Rather, the reward is in the work, itself.  I found this pretty difficult to deal with after a lifetime of reaching for As, but I can now say that if I have one wish for each of you, it is that you, too, find work that is its own reward.
 
Returning to GA as a teacher brought up the memories of my student life here, and it reaffirmed my conviction that we come from a position of enormous privilege.  This education will have set you up for success—whatever kind of success you desire. 

But returning to the idea of achievement versus knowledge…my experience as a student at GA taught me how to achieve—how to attain ‘success’.  Teachers earnestly worked to inspire knowledge, but knowledge is an incredibly personal thing.  To understand what you need to learn requires that you first admit what you don’t know. 

As a teacher, I knew that I loved teaching, I loved working with students. But I also knew that I am white, and with that, my perspective as a person, and especially as a teacher—in a position of power in the classroom—will always be a white perspective. Privilege and power can be dangerous in ignorant hands, so I set out to learn about racial identity and the formation of racism in society. 

To that end, I am currently studying sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City. I have the luxury as a grad student to study exactly what I want to, what I’m passionate about.  I go to classes and lectures, I write papers, I have fascinating conversations with peers and professors who are equally excited about their particular niche in sociology.  And I get frustrated with the ignorance that shows itself at all levels of education.

One of the panel discussions at the grad center in the fall was titled: “Does Diversity Matter”.  Well, to say that I was curious would be a bit of an understatement.  I went to the panel hoping for a lively debate on the subject…I was not disappointed. 

A white professor from the University of Michigan was claiming that all of the work that was being done on race in this country was obscuring us from the ‘real’ issues of inequality—whatever that means…He went on to say that racism wasn’t an issue anymore, and I’m quoting now, “I’m not a racist, 85% of the people in my department aren’t racist.”  I kept waiting for the obligatory: “I have a Black friend”. 

And even if we could assume that 85% of people aren’t racist…which I find pretty hard to believe—but going further into that would definitely create some waves, and my speech is only supposed to be ten minutes long…

but OK, say that 85% of people aren’t racist—is 15 an acceptable percentage of people with racist tendencies?  Really?

And on a national level…I’m hoping that you all heard Senator Biden’s remarks about Senator Obama and his bid for the presidency, but just in case you need a refresher, he described Senator Obama as: “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.”  I’m not trying to be political, here, I’m merely pointing out that, despite the opinion of one professor from Michigan, there is work to be done.

So I spend my time now reading and debating about issues of race, ethnicity, and education.  Most days, my desire for achievement is quelled by my desire to fill this huge hole in my understanding.  I know that I don’t know anywhere near the amount that I should know or that I need to know.  My goal is to be one less white person who takes race for granted.

But what does my personal educational journey, or our nation’s vital issues of ignorance and inequality have to do with ‘cum laude’.  I will cite my mother again who said, as I was preparing for this speech: “there’s a big difference between achieving ‘honors’ and living your life ‘with honor’.” 

I said a few minutes ago that every one of us has come from a place of privilege.  The difference between achieving and knowing; between ‘cum laude’ and living ‘with honor’ lies in how we use that privilege. 

Living with honor means that you must honor yourself, you must honor the outstanding education that you have worked for, you must honor the fact that there is even more that you do not yet know, and you must honor the humanity that lies in our differences.

Too many issues in our community and our world seem to stem from a fundamental lack of knowledge and respect for differing ways of life.  May you be people who actively seek to change that, I know you can.  And may you live up to your new distinction, I know you will.

Congratulations.