Pace Academy Celebrates Class of 2014

Pace Academy’s Class of 2014 officially joined the school’s alumni ranks on Saturday, May 17. The 107 young men and women received diplomas during a commencement ceremony at Peachtree Presbyterian Church. The ceremony followed a weekend of celebrations, which included a Saturday-afternoon state-championship win for members of the girls soccer team, six of whom are graduating seniors. 

At Baccalaureate on May 16, students and their families heard from Rev. Don Harp, pastor and theologian-in-residence at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. A Methodist minister, Harp served in the North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church for more than 40 years. During his years as senior minister at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, he grew his congregation to more than 7,000 members.

Pace Academy alumnus Dr. Jim Walsh ’77 delivered the school’s 51st Commencement address. Walsh is a world-renowned expert in international security and a research associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Security Studies Program. His research and writings focus on international security and nuclear weapons, and he is one of a handful of Americans who has traveled to both Iran and North Korea for nuclear talks.

Walsh shared practical advice with the graduating class, advising students to fight for their friends, engage ‘the other’ and “ask to see the data.” Walsh went on to discuss the significance of chance in life and asked graduates to be mindful of the gifts and opportunities that they have received. “Understand the role that fortune plays in your life and in the lives of others,” he said. “[And understand] that the most powerful force on earth is love. I am convinced that love might make a difference in even the world’s biggest problems.”

Pace Academy Head of School Fred Assaf also spoke during the Commencement ceremony. “You are Pace Academy graduates,” he told the members of the Class of 2014. “The bar has been set high, and we know you can get over it. As you take the next step, my greatest hope for each of you is that you will never change who you are. You know how to learn, work with faculty, interact with adults and be global citizens. Don’t change your values – look for ways to expand their reach. Your values and your character will last – protect and celebrate them.”

The members of the Class of 2014 left an indelible mark on Pace Academy, contributing to the arts, athletics, service learning and academic programs. The senior class averaged nearly 1300 on the SAT, and each member completed at least one Advanced Placement course. They will matriculate to 53 colleges and universities in 22 states and the District of Columbia. One member of the Class of 2014 will attend college in Scotland, continuing a streak of international students that extends back to 2008. 

Nine seniors were named National Merit Finalists, and three of those students were selected as National Merit Scholars. The Class of 2014 also includes two National Achievement Scholars. For the second year in a row, a Pace Academy graduate will enroll as one of 22 prestigious Foundation Fellows at the University of Georgia, and one of this year’s seniors was named a Gates Millennium Scholar. Nine student-athletes have committed to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level, five at Division I schools.