Baccalaurate Service Commences the Season of Celebrations at CK

Members of the school community came together yesterday to express thanksgiving for our rich heritage and to celebrate the end of another academic year.

After some opening remarks from Upper School Head Charlie Shaw and an introduction by Director of Schools Arlyce Seibert, Imam Dawud Walid delivered a heartfelt address to the audience.  Walid spoke about the myriad opportunities available to seniors as they enter the world.

Walid concluded with the following message: "Let your service for others propel you to greatness. Let your example in your life be an inspiration for those who lack hope. Let your knowledge be your income and your accrued interest be wisdom. Let your fulfillment be not in what you have accumulated for your own personal selfish motivations but let your fulfillment be in what you have given to others."

Jamison Faliski, K '86, President of the Kingswood Alumnae Association, and Roger Mali, CK '93, President of the Cranbrook Alumni Assocation, welcomed the seniors.  In addition, students who would miss the graduation ceremony were awarded special diplomas.

The audience was also treated to music by Organist John Repulski and the Symphony Choir, directed by Upper School Vocal Instructor Anna Speck.

After the Service, students, family, faculty, and friends headed over to Cranbrook House for a reception, co-hosted by the Cranbrook Alumni and Kingswood Alumnae Associations, honoring the Class of 2008.

Dawud Walid is Executive Director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), assistant Imam at Masjid Wali Muhammad in Detroit, MI, board trustee for the Metropolitan Interfaith Workers' Rights Committee and member of the North American Imams Federation (NAIF).

Walid has spoken at various institutions of higher learning about Islam and Interfaith dialogue, and he has delivered religious lectures and sermons in over 30 mosques throughout the United States.  Walid has also appeared extensively in the media, including, but not limited to, The New York Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, CSPAN, CNN, Al-Jazeera, Voice of America, National Public Radio, FOX National Radio and the BBC World Service Radio.

For more information about Walid, click here.

Click here to listen to the Baccalaurate service.