Gabriela Smith Delivers Inspiring Commencement Address at Georgetown Visitation
- CRIMSONBRIDGE
- Jun 12
- 2 min read
Washington, D.C., June 3, 2025 — At the 226th commencement ceremony of Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, Gabriela Smith—founder and executive chair of the Crimsonbridge Foundation—delivered an inspiring and heartfelt address to the Class of 2025. As the mother of two Visitation graduates (Adrianna, Class of 2011, and Victoria, Class of 2018), Smith spoke with personal connection and deep admiration for the school community, Reflecting on the values nurtured within Visitation’s academic and spiritual environment, she pointed to the four pillars that form the foundation of a Visitation education: love, faith, resourcefulness, and joyful hope—virtues that, she emphasized, will guide the graduates through life.
“Your future is unwritten,” Smith told the graduates. “You have the tools to write your own story. Your talents are gifts from God—and no matter what they are, or how you grow them, you can always find ways to use them for the greater good.”
A national philanthropic leader, Smith has long championed education, leadership, and environmental stewardship. Smith is one of the co-founders of the St. Jane the Chantal Salesian Center and has been part of the Visitation family for almost 20 years.
Founded in 1799, Georgetown Visitation is the oldest Catholic girls’ high school in the country. The commencement ceremony honored the school’s enduring mission to form young women of faith, vision, and purpose—values echoed throughout Smith’s speech.
In closing, she offered a warm and affirming message: “Believe in yourselves, as all of us here believe in you. You are loved for who you are—so, with joy, be that well,” she said, invoking the timeless Salesian motto that animates Visitation’s spirit. Gabriela Smith’s message serves as a powerful reminder that with faith, heart, and action, the newly minted alumni have everything they need to make a meaningful difference in the world.
