On Wednesday, November 20, La Salle celebrated our heritage at the 2024 Heroic Vow assembly, honoring Lasallian Educator of the Year, Ms. Amy Gantt, and the Class of 2025. Brother Dan Morgan '75, FSC, served as keynote speaker, descending from the stage to be at eye level with the senior class as he shared his advice for their journey beyond high school. “Be open to where your heart leads you,” he told them. “Never look back, but look forward.”

Spanish teachers Ms. Lisa Moran and Ms. Karen Kessler were next to the stage. Reflecting on their time working alongside Ms. Gantt, they highlighted her vigilance, piety, and commitment to serving those in need, both as an educator and church leader. “She has a servant’s heart,” Ms. Moran said. “She continually puts the needs of others before her own."

Senior Jillian Craeton Raddle echoed these sentiments. A student of Ms. Gantt’s and member of the National Honors Society, she spoke highly of the educator’s organization and attention to detail.

“But organization is just one of the many qualities Ms. Gantt possesses that make her a great teacher,” said Craeton Raddle. “She's kind and fun but sets boundaries in the classroom. She never fails to dress up for spirit days. The energy she brings to school every single day is contagious. She meets students where they are in their learning and challenges them to enhance their knowledge. And perhaps most importantly, she makes each student feel genuinely important and acknowledged.”

In recognition of her commitment to the ideals of St. John Baptist de La Salle, Ms. Gantt received the Educator of the Year medal in a ceremony commemorating the Heroic Vow made by de La Salle and the Christian Brothers. Once honored, Ms. Gantt offered her address to the audience, made up of family, friends, fellow faculty, and her many students.

“This vow is heroic because it was a radical commitment to the work of educating all children, regardless of their means,” Ms. Gantt reflected. “That was Saint John Baptist de La Salle’s pledge in 1691. Today, we are all charged with how we can make this vow come alive in our modern world. So my question is, what is a hero to you? Who are your heroes?”  

For Ms. Gantt, heroes are those whose intentional efforts have shaped our memories, our identities, and our values. “The heroes in our lives encourage us, set examples for us, hold us accountable, and support us,” she said. “It is important that we have those people in our lives. At times, we think of heroes as extraordinary, when most often the most important heroes are quite ordinary.”  

Remembering her own ordinary heroes, Ms. Gantt spotlighted the impact of small, personal actions, such as her grandmother making her favorite chocolate cake every Thanksgiving or her uncles ensuring she never felt excluded from family functions.

“[Heroes] intentional efforts shape our memories, our identities, and our values. My hope is that you all have a person or multiple people who are your heroes. I hope you can take inspiration from them so that ultimately you can be an extraordinarily ordinary hero for someone else.”

It was with this call to action that the Class of 2025 took their own Heroic Vow, receiving their Lasallian medals and responding “I will” to each of the following questions:

• Will you carry on the Lasallian call to remember the presence of God, value the individual, accept everyone, and respect all people?
• Will you call upon the virtue of zeal and push your limits to respond to anyone experiencing poverty to overcome injustice?
• Will you continue to prepare for life utilizing the quality education you have received and continue to seek truth in all things?

With their oath complete, La Salle’s seniors moved forward with a newly fortified commitment to uphold the Lasallian core principles and act as big brothers and sisters to their fellow Falcons. “With your heroes as inspiration,” Ms. Gantt told them, “I am confident that you will live out this heroic vow in our modern world today.”