St. Andrew’s School celebrated its Class of 2023 with a commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 3.

The Class of 2023 includes 53 students hailing from five states and 10 countries. St. Andrew’s Head of School David Tinagero shared a special speech during the commencement.

“Seniors, I am proud of the way you have come together these past months. The leadership you have shown, the way you have gathered to finish this adventure, has been impressive,” Tinagero said. “This moment is also the culmination of the efforts of a multitude of people who helped to shape you and to keep you on your path. Remember that you are essential to our progress and you are not alone in it. I wish you a long and beautiful journey.”

Commencement Speaker Demetris Nichols ‘03 spoke to the Class of 2023 about overcoming mountains. He said public speaking was his biggest mountain to climb due to a stutter growing up. He also shared about his journey as a student-athlete and his perseverance to overcome the odds to play for the NBA. 

“We will all have mountains to climb,” Nichols said. “What is your next challenge, next goal, next opportunity you want to achieve? How do you get there? You get there by holding on. When things get hard, and they will, never give up. Have faith and believe in yourself.”

After graduating from St. Andrew’s, Nichols attended and graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in communications, where he also played basketball. He was selected in the second round of the 2007 NBA draft and played on three NBA teams before his playing career took him to Europe. After his playing career ended, Nichols turned to coaching. He was part of the coaching staff at Syracuse and was assistant coach with Raptors 905, the G-League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors. Nichols recently accepted an assistant coaching position at Wake Forest University. 

Each year, a member of the graduating class is selected to speak at Commencement; this year, Sydney Luna ‘23 represented the Class of 2023. 

“The St. Andrew’s community boasts students from around the world,” Luna said. “Different cultures, languages, perspectives, and beliefs are what make our campus unique. The wisdom and values of our respective nations melt together to create the culture at St. Andrew’s in ways many of us don’t fully realize.”

The Class of 2023 is the 130th graduating class from St. Andrew’s School. Graduating students have been accepted to 170 colleges and universities and have – to date – earned more than $3 million in combined merit and athletic scholarships.