Editors note: the following was delivered at the annual commencement speech for Larchmont Charter School in Los Angeles. The writer is the executive director of the school, and her parents live on the Vineyard.

Good evening, families, friends, faculty, staff — and most of all, Larchmont’s Class of 2025. I want to begin with a story.

The bell rang, chairs scraped, and two students — last names close in the alphabet: Tom Dresser, Joyce Cournoyer — slid into their usual seats. They had shared homeroom for four years, served together in student government, but never really knew each other.

Outside their school walls, the world was in chaos: protests, political violence, uncertainty. Sound familiar? But this wasn’t 2025 — it was 1965.

They graduated, went their separate ways, raised families. Thirty years later, both divorced and unsure of what came next, they were persuaded, separately, to attend their 30th high school reunion. They ended up at the same table.

They barely recognized each other but they talked. They laughed. They reconnected. A few months later, he moved in. A year later, they were married.

Another 30 years have passed. They have traveled the world, survived illness, watched their children become parents. He retired from leading nursing homes and has now published 20 local history books about the Vineyard. She, a former special education teacher, spends her days gardening, quilting, cooking and crafting. Together, they volunteer for their church, food bank, campaigns and community causes. They are dedicated to improving their corner of the world. Their home in Oak Bluffs is a revolving door of friends, family and joy.

They are one of the most inspiring couples I know, and they are my dad and my stepmom.

So, why am I telling you this? Two reasons.

First, look around. These classmates beside you? You don’t know how your paths may cross again. Life is long, and full of surprises.

Second, and more importantly, because the world will push you to chase achievements and accolades. But the true measure of your life will be your relationships — the love you give, and the love you receive.

My parents’ story is one of deep community. And it reminds me of what I experience every day at Larchmont — across every campus, every hallway, every classroom — something rare and precious.

In today’s world of self-checkouts, on-demand everything and driver-less cars, it’s possible to go days or even weeks without real human interaction. We live in one of the wealthiest nations on earth — and yet, loneliness and despair are pervasive.

The research from the longest study on human happiness — from Harvard — found the same thing: it’s not achievement that makes us happiest. It’s love. Connection. Community.

So as the final bell rings and you walk across this stage, my wish for you is simple: Lead with love. Prioritize people. Put down deep roots. Know your neighbors. Be the one who shows up. Build a life rich in connection.

And when you feel lost — and at times you will — come back to what you learned here. Remember what it feels like to belong. And then, go out and create that feeling for others.

Amy Dresser Held lives in Oak Bluffs and Los Angeles.