Board Chair Kevin Reidy: Durable Human Skills - 2026 Commencement Remarks

Good morning, and welcome to the Commencement Ceremony for the Colorado Academy Class of 2026.

My name is Kevin Reidy, and it has been one of the great honors of my life to serve as Chair of the Colorado Academy Board of Trustees. On behalf of the entire Board, welcome, and thank you for being here to celebrate this remarkable class.

This Commencement feels especially meaningful to me personally.

My wife Ann and I no longer have children enrolled at CA. Our family’s chapter as “current parents” has officially closed. And in many ways, that gives me a different perspective this morning—one rooted less in the daily rhythm of carpools, games, performances, and late-night homework, and more in gratitude for what this school truly represents over time.

I did not graduate from Colorado Academy. I graduated from Cherry Creek High School. And yet, through our children’s experience here, and through my years serving this institution, I have come to understand something deeply:

A Colorado Academy education is not simply about achievement. It is about formation.

It is about developing young people who know how to think, how to lead, how to collaborate, how to listen, and how to navigate complexity with confidence and humanity.

And increasingly, those qualities matter more than ever.

You are graduating into a world that is changing at an extraordinary speed. Technology will evolve. Entire industries will transform. Information will become even more abundant and even harder to trust. Many of the jobs you will eventually hold do not yet exist.

Which means the most valuable skills you carry forward are not temporary technical skills alone, but durable human ones.

• Your ability to communicate clearly.
• To think critically.
• To work through disagreement without contempt.
• To lead with empathy.
• To adapt without losing your values.
• To take risks.
• To recover from failure.
• To stay curious.
• To build meaningful relationships.
• To remain fully human in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and constant disruption.

For years, we talked about resilience as the defining trait young people would need. And resilience does matter. But I think what matters even more is durability.

Resilience helps you bounce back.

Durability helps you endure, grow, and continue becoming who you are meant to be over decades—not just difficult moments.

Durable people are not perfect people. They are grounded people. People with character. People with purpose. People who can handle success without arrogance and adversity without losing themselves.

That is what I believe Colorado Academy strives to develop.

And one of the things I admire most about CA is that it has never stood still.

For 120 years, this institution has continued to evolve while remaining true to its mission. Colorado Academy began as a military school for boys. Today, it is recognized as one of the leading independent, college-preparatory, experiential education, forward-thinking schools in the country.

That transformation did not happen accidentally.

It happened because generations of leaders, faculty, trustees, parents, and students were willing to ask hard questions, embrace change, and imagine what education could become—not simply preserve what it once was.

That willingness to reinvent while staying mission-centered is one of CA’s greatest strengths.

And I can tell you with complete confidence: the future of this school is extraordinarily bright.

CA is strong because of its people. Because of exceptional teachers and coaches. Because of engaged families. Because of a committed Board. Because of a clear mission and values-based leadership. And because of the extraordinary partnership we have been fortunate to share with Dr. Mike Davis, whose leadership has strengthened this institution in countless ways.

Mike, thank you for your integrity, your vision, your steadiness, and your unwavering commitment to students.

Class of 2026: you are leaving this place at a moment of real momentum and optimism for Colorado Academy.

But today is ultimately about you.

You have already accomplished a great deal. And yet, what matters most is not the list of schools you will attend, the awards you have won, or the titles you may someday hold.

What matters most is the kind of person you become.

• How you treat people.
• Whether you have the courage to take meaningful risks.
• Whether you remain open-minded.
• Whether you contribute more than you consume.
• Whether others feel valued in your presence.
• Whether you help strengthen your communities, your families, and the lives of the people around you.

Family has always mattered deeply to me. Legacy matters too. And if there is one thing I hope you remember long after today, it is this:

Your legacy will not be defined by a single achievement.

It will be defined by the consistency of your character over time.

By the people you lift up.
The trust you earn.
The kindness you extend.
The way you respond when things do not go according to plan.

Those are durable things.

And those are the things that last.

To the parents, guardians, faculty, coaches, and staff: thank you for helping guide these students to this moment.

And to the Class of 2026: thank you for the energy, compassion, humor, leadership, and spirit you have brought to Colorado Academy.

We are proud of you.
We believe in you.
And we cannot wait to see what you build next.

Congratulations, Class of 2026.