Head of School Charley Stillwell Ushers in the 2021-22 School Year

Mr. Stillwell delivered the year's first Chapel talk on September 13, 2021. Read his words below.

Good morning! It is great to all be together in Chapel this morning. It was sad not to be able to do this last year, and I am thrilled that we can get back this year to those things that make Episcopal such a special place. It was so much fun yesterday to see your spirit at Dorm Games! I want to thank the Cheerleaders for helping us get off to a great start with spirit, and I am especially appreciative of all the seniors for working so hard to support all the younger students in making the first days back on campus go so smoothly. 
 
As we begin this year together, we do have a wonderful opportunity to reconnect to what makes Episcopal special, and this is actually a huge responsibility for all of us. I hope this won’t be a moment when we simply strive to get back to normal but that we actually recognize that all of you have a unique opportunity to ensure that 1. we don’t forget the core values and important traditions that have guided us for nearly 180 years and 2. that we also find new ways to make Episcopal more special than our school has ever been. It amazes me that only a portion of our seniors have been here for a full, more normal, Covid-free year.
 
As we do these two things — recommit to our core values and make Episcopal the best it has ever been — I hope we will focus this year on three key things.
 
First, I hope we always remember that there is nothing at Episcopal that is more important than the strength of your personal honor. This commitment begins with our Honor System but for me it's about much more. For me putting honor first is about striving to live an honorable life in all that you do and treating others in an honorable way. Head of the Honor Committee Johnny Smith said it well when he mentioned that its about choosing the hard right over the easy wrong. You help others when they need it whether convenient or not. You show people respect because everyone deserves it. You do the right thing even when it may be uncomfortable or when no one is looking. That’s what living an honorable life is all about.
 
Secondly, my favorite quality in our Portrait of a Graduate after its focus on honor is its call for all of us to “lead with humility and kindness.” For you new students, our Portrait of a Graduate is our definition for what we mean when we talk about moral courage and intellectual courage and you can see a large version of it on the wall in our McCain-Ravenel Center. When I talk to Episcopal alumni from different decades going back to the 1940’s and 50’s and right up to our recent graduates and ask them what made their Episcopal experience special, they almost always mention the adults and the students here who were kind to them, who, in a humble way, made it clear that they put others first. There were legendary adults here who have been remembered this way — Mr. Callaway for whom the Chapel is named, Mr. Phillips for whom our annual Integrity in Action Award is named, and our recent alums would say similar things about stars like Dr. Olsen and Mr. Hodge and Mr. Eldred, people for whom no job is too big or too small and individuals who always put everyone else first. 
 
The alumni also remember those students who helped them at just the right time and in just the right way. Sometimes it was a close friend, but often it was an older student or a classmate who somehow realized they were struggling and were kind to them just when they needed it most. If we want Episcopal to be the most special place it can be, then a focus by all of us on humility and kindness can truly guide the way and make our community incredibly strong.
 
And one final core value that I think is critical for us is the importance of respect. For me, a true focus on respect brings together so many aspects of what makes Episcopal special. First respect is at the heart of our connection to the Episcopal Church and its call for us to treat every individual with dignity as a child of God. That’s core to our mission. I think respect also has an interesting connection to having a curiosity about learning everyone’s story and appreciating all the things that make us each unique. Being respectful keeps us from getting caught up in labels and thinking that everyone in this or that group is the same. I think it's disrespectful to assume that everyone from a certain state or a certain country or a particular religion or a racial or ethnic group or a certain economic level or a political party are all the same. When we respect each other as individuals and value each other, it is so much easier to build friendships and to foster a trusting community. It is pretty easy to trust someone when you know they respect you. If we can truly respect everyone here, we can help each of us thrive and help our community be its very best. 
 
So I wish you all the best of luck as we kick off this 2021-22 school year. If we can recommit to these core values of honor, leading with humility and kindness, and respect, I think this could become one of the most important and successful years in our school’s long history. I really appreciate everything that you will do to make that happen. Have a great year. Thanks and God Bless The High School!