Class of 2026 Elected Speaker Kit Freeman: Lessons from 112 Seniors

Ok, let’s be completely honest here, we did not start as the best class of CA of all time. Between the sheer number of things that we broke in the gym (and the videos of us breaking aforementioned things), getting the diversity lounge’s walls torn down, and engaging in more than one fight, we weren’t exactly the favorites among these halls. But I must say we have pulled through on the other side. We have come so far from the individuals that we were when we started freshman year. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not perfect. All the dents on the cars in the lot would attest to that.

But we, as the Class of 2026, are about to walk away from CA as one of the most interconnected, capable, and kind classes ever. There’s a quote from Jim Rohn that goes: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” And, well, over these past 4 years, and with some of you even more, I have become the sum of the 111 people surrounding me. I have learned something important from every single person on this stage today, and if I stood here listing out all of the lessons, I’m afraid that we’d be here until next week. There are not enough words to properly describe the way that I know all of you have impacted my life. So here’s my attempt at trying.

Grace, Mitchell, Hannah, Kaley, Augie, David, Lyla, Andrew, Alexander, Braden, and Chloe C-V., you all have a sense of timing is absolutely impeccable. You are always ready to go with a joke that you seem to have just thought up on the spot, or a comforting remark that is exactly what someone needs to hear. When people need you, you can be there for them, no matter what they need. You seem to be able to face any scenario that comes your way; you truly genuinely care about people, and are always capable of quick thinking on your feet, depending on what the situation calls for.

There are some people who constantly seem to be bursting at the seams with ideas. Griffin, Abby, Hashem, Chloe L., Adrian, Evi, Sophie, Luis, Ruby, Robert, and Alex A., if I could crack open your guys’ heads and steal all of your ideas, I’m fairly sure I’d be set for life. There’s always something new to learn from you as you generate new ideas on what seems to be a minute-by-minute basis. Your ideas, no matter how big or small, are always phenomenal and manage to change people’s perspectives.
 

Gideon, Macey, Adam, Rex, Harper, Tess, Layne, Dani, Isa, Sloan, and Tatum, I have always envied the way that every room lights up when you guys walk in. There is an unmistakable energy that is always missing until you walk into it. You never fail to brighten everyone’s mood, and you bring together a room full of people who normally would never even talk to each other. Conversations become more energetic with you in them, and you seamlessly bring groups of people together.

They are your ride-or-die friends and push you to really live life to the fullest. Mara, Alexa, Nick, Cate, Emery, Gus, Zander, Alix K., Josh, Henry, Ricardo, these are all the people I will always go to for advice. They will be brutally honest with you and tell you exactly what you need to hear. The flip side to the brutal honesty and telling you what you SHOULD do to get the best outcome, all of them will also immediately turn and say, “do it for the plot.”  Whether it’s just chatting with them or going on a full-blown adventure, there’s never a dull moment.

Laura, Sydney, Mack, Jacob, Taylor, Asha W., Hayes, Will R., Jack, Cooper, Ziyad, you all find friends wherever you go. You’re capable of walking into any room you want and instantly finding connections. You all put your best selves out there and are incredibly genuine. People are naturally drawn to you, and you create inviting and welcoming spaces for people to come to you. You always land the best experiences because you manage to meet so many people and make genuine connections with everyone you meet.

You know those people who you look at, and just can’t help but think that you wish you had a fraction of the talent they have. Yeah, I think that pretty often. Alexis, Natalie, Lawrence, Marques, Keren, Eva, Justin, Thomas, Claire, Zack, and Caroline Hagen, you guys make everything you do look so easy. The way you balance the seeming 10,000 extracurriculars, ace every class you take, and dedicate yourself to the “hobbies” you do in your alleged free time looks like you’re doing it professionally. You all throw yourselves wholeheartedly with passion into everything you do, and you make it look so natural.

Piper, Craig, Benny, Pablo, Rory, Ajay, Jules, Quincy, Lucas, Keegan, Asha J, and Georgia, everybody always knows when you’re in the room. From the moment you enter to the second you leave, you command everyone’s attention. Your presence adds something unique to every space that you enter, and no room ever truly feels complete without one of you guys in it. People look for you, and it usually doesn’t take long with your distinctive voices. You light up every space, and it’s noticeable once you’re gone.

Katie, Reece, Estevan, Ailee, Elle, Johanna, Elliott, Pritika, Conrad, Oliver, Annabelle, you all are some of the most dedicated people I have ever met. Once you find something you’re passionate about, you all will work yourselves to the bone to put out the best product that you possibly can. You will put in the work, put in the hours upon hours behind the scenes. And when it comes time to shine, all of your outside dedication comes forward. Your hard work comes out in all your results, in every game you’ve won, every test you’ve aced, every performance where people are left in awe. 

There are some people who just always come out on top and always end up succeeding. Jenna, George, Molly, Celia, Emily, Evan, Kieran, Liam, Erick, Parker, Will M., there is nothing that’s capable of toppling your spirits. You all step bravely into your future with a level of trust that’s enviable, knowing with a kind of premonition that the future is going to work out. Everything always ends up working out by the end, and every single day you show up with a smile on your face, excited for what the day will bring. Y’all are relentlessly positive and know that things will eventually turn in your favor. 

Luke, Khloe B., Isabel, Caroline Haley, Kellen, Rosie, Zachery, William, Hazel, Fletcher, Marianna, every single one of you could be thrown into any situation, anywhere, and at any point in your life, and you’d find a way to absolutely thrive. You’re all capable of quite literally anything, the ultimate jack-of-all trades in every sense of the word. You’re simultaneously some of the smartest, funniest, and most capable people I’ve ever met, and I know that no matter where you’ll end up, you’ll thrive.

You’ll notice that only a few people I placed in your category are from your friend group; there are probably people in your group whom you’ve only ever had a few conversations with. But there is something to learn and to value from everyone, even if they aren’t who you usually talk to. As we’re all moving forward into the next chapters of our lives and are entering new communities I urge you to learn something from everyone you meet. Not everybody’s going to be your best friend of course, but that person down the hall might be able to teach you how to take perfect notes, that person in the new club you joined might be how you get your first job, that friend you make in orientation might teach you what it really means to be vulnerable. There are a million things to learn, and a billion people to teach it to you. 

That doesn't mean forgetting where you’ve come from. I’ll be carrying all the things I learned from each and every one of you forward alongside all that I’ve learned from everyone else in my life. Grit, determination, and patience, from my parents, playfulness and my competitive drive from my siblings, empathy and communication from my teachers. I know that I still have so much to learn, but I know that I’m already so incredibly prepared to face any challenge that life might throw at me. So thank you all, for the lessons that you’ve taught me, the experiences we’ve had, and for the community that I know is going to last no matter where we all end up. Never stop learning, and never forget the people you learned from.