We broke the mold of traditional schooling. But the revolutionary part isn't just the technology or the projects that we did or the open classroom spaces. It's the culture that you all built. I've watched you grow up. You are more than just a graduating class. You are a family. I've seen you take care of each other in ways that go far beyond the classroom. You've celebrated each other's successes and you've cared each other through the losses. You have created a culture that cares. That is where our true pride lies. Not in the new tech name, but in the way that you treat the person sitting next to you. As you move forward, the world will ask you who you are. Tell them with your actions. Represent your family by showing the world the values that they poured into you. Represent CSA Newch by remaining a lifelong learner who isn't afraid to collaborate and innovate.
Uh my name is Troy Gobble and it is my honor to be the principal here at Stevenson High School and I get to uh introduce some of the most important people here today, our student speakers. Our student speaker addresses are named for the two great passions of Adli Stevenson's life, writing and politics. And so our first student speech today will be the scriptor address which looks back at our four years together. Our speaker is Nissa Ralph who will be attending Indiana University. Let's hear for Nissa. [cheering] [applause] Good evening to all families and friends, teachers and peers, and of course, the graduating class of 2026. Yeah, let's give a round of applause. Come on. [applause] Standing here today, it's hard to believe how fast the past few years have flown by. From our very first days of school to this incredible milestone we now share.
Most importantly, represent yourself by never settling for anything but your best. Carry this pride with you. You are the revolution we've been waiting for. Congratulations, class of 2026. We are so incredibly proud of you. [applause] >> [applause] >> It is my pleasure to now introduce saludiatoran Paige Fininky to share her thoughts with the senior class. [applause] >> Thank you, Mr. Geel. We are here today to celebrate the achievements of the CSA Newekch graduating class of 2026. I would like to welcome our esteemed faculty, families, friends, and the class of 2026. I, Paige Fininky, would not be here today without all of you and without the unique culture that we have shared at Newk over these past four years. It is hard to forget our entry event, the pancake breakfast. All those years ago when we were still in middle school, that was the day our advisories were assigned, becoming our families throughout high school.
My first graduation was from preschool to kindergarten. During the ceremony, every kid was asked the same question, and I'm pretty sure you can guess it. What do you want to be when you grow up? I was 5 years old, standing on stage in pigtails and bows, but I already knew what I was going to say. I leaned into the microphone and I said, "I want to be a bus driver when I grow up." I know that sounds completely random, maybe even made up, but my mom has video proof. I promise. And at 5 years old, it was my proudest answer. All because of my first friend. I think we all know that feeling when you're too scared to sit down at a table with people you don't know. That feeling when you're nervous and you're new to a school. I remember it was hard to make friends when I was little.
We ate pancakes, met new people, and wandered the halls, meeting the facilitators who would guide us along the way. Thank you, Miss Alexander, and her advisory for the Just Dance days and our conversations that lasted the full 25 minutes. Following that first day, whether we realized it or not, our project had been launched and our driving question became clear. How do we as the class of 2026 take full advantage of these four years to grow, contribute, and leave something meaningful behind. Along the way, we built our nose and need to knows, not just in the classroom, but in life. We learned what we already had within us and what we still needed to grow into. Through every challenge, every collaboration, and every moment of uncertainty, we kept moving forward. We hit our benchmarks from the SAT to essays, from projects to presentations, from the end of h from the end of each semester to the unforgettable end of year house games.
But despite all that, I happily skipped the big yellow school bus so I could talk to the person sitting behind those doors. My bus driver was the first person that made me feel included every single day. As we grew up, our lives became filled with the bigger moments. The exams, the grades, the sports games, the performances. Through it all, there were the people in the background shaping our lives when we didn't even realize it. The custodians who stayed after long days so we could return to a welcoming space. The cafeteria workers who made our days better with great food. the traffic directors that stood outside on the coldest days so we could reach school safely. I know for a fact there are people sitting here right now that would get excited to tell the security guards the crazy moments of their week. Me included. At Stevenson, I was heavily involved in the theater program.
Those final days competing for our houses and hearing the winner announced in the last seconds of the school year are moments that will always carry with us. And this year, thanks to Mr. Steel, we had one final opportunity to come together for FA, for reflection, and for time together that felt like the perfect closing to our time at Newk. Each of these experiences was more than just an assignment. They were authentic. Our projects pushed us to think deeper, work harder, and become more than what we once thought possible. They shaped us into who we are today. And now we've reached our culminating event, graduation. Our high school project may be ending, but a new one has just begun. Each of us is stepping into a new project with different goals, different paths, and different directions ahead. Some of us are heading to college, others into the workforce, and st some are still discovering what comes next.
In September, I remember there was a rehearsal that was so mentally draining I was aching to go home. I walked down the stairs to the sports center to head out to my car and I saw none other than Steven the security guard, the king himself, waving at me. [laughter] I stayed to chat with him and in just 5 minutes, my spirits were lifted. I even invited him to come see the show and he didn't hesitate to say yes. People like Steven are the heart and soul of what it means to be a patriot. And maybe that's one of the most important things we've learned without even recognizing it. That the value of a high school like Stevenson is higher because of the individuals who show up without always being noticed. Looking back, I don't think that preschool answer was really about becoming a bus driver.
But no matter where we go, we carry with us everything new tech has taught us. and that is the ability to ask questions, to adapt, to collaborate, and to grow. Our facilitators have given us the tools we need. Now, it's up to us to continue learning and creating lives that are meaning that are meaningful and our own. Class of 2026, this is just the beginning. >> [applause] [applause] >> Thank you, Paige. I would now like to introduce CSA facilitator Bjorn Gaylord, who has some parting words for our graduating seniors. [applause] Good evening, parents, grandparents, friends, family, scholars. It's an honor to be here. 30 years ago, I stood on a similar stage at my own high school commencement and delivered a speech to my graduating class. I no longer have any idea what I said and mercifully no one else does either except my mom of course.
I think it was about recognizing the people that matter every day and make up our community. Community to me, it means the beauty of two things. Empathy and human connection. It's what we do when no one is watching. At a soccer game, it's that moment you look out into the stands and you see your loved ones hyping you up in the crowd. It's about a genuine thank you. The habit of noticing. It could even just be addressing someone by their name. My friend Joyce is one of the West Jasmine's baristas, and she always lights up with a smile when I shout out her name. Community is what Stephvenson is best at and what I encourage all of you to take away from your experience here. As we leave for places that are unfamiliar, I know we will all benefit from the perspective we didn't even know we gained, to notice people, to appreciate them, to continue being good community members ourselves.
Moms always remember. Bump into her in the milk aisle at the grocery store and you're liable to hear all about it. What I do know is that I stood on that stage convinced with every fiber of my teenage heart that I knew what I was talking about. What I also know is that I haven't felt that confident or certain about anything since. I realize now that this level of certainty is a luxury of youth. When we're young, we know everything. We're convinced of our own infallibility. The correlary to this, of course, is that our parents know nothing. Something my children are quick to remind me of almost daily. I see parents nodding their heads. And this, let's call it youthful certainty, is exactly as it should be. Adulthood, after all, is terrifying. Careers, staff meetings, mortgages, health insurance, auto insurance, home insurance, 401ks, 403bs, gas bills, electric bills, child care, neck wrinkles, ear hair.
Because while things like the burrito bowl prices kept changing and putting me in debt, there was a constant in our school, the selfless individuals that contribute to our community. So, thank you all for being a part of my community and thank you for listening. [cheering] [applause] Now, we're going to invite our senior choir members to please come forward and perform our alma mater. While they're getting set, I would like to remind everyone that as of right now, this is our 60th anniversary as a school and we have had approximately 40,000 students graduate from Stevenson High School. All of those alumni exist all across the nation and some of them are here tonight. So, as we prepare to sing our alma mater, is it possible to have all the alumni in the crowd, all of you that have come, but please stand up. If you are a former Patriot, stand up.
It's a wonder anyone over the age of 30 gets out of bed in the morning. But the young are mercifully insulated from all of this. If they weren't, no one would launch. We'd all be living in our parents' basements forever. And launching itself is terrifying enough. Think about fledging birds. What confidence, certainty, and overweening pride must it take for a six-week old hawk to climb to the edge of its protective nest, survey the 60-foot abyss in front of it, and think, "I got this." Only the young or foolish would be so recklessly bold. But we do it. And amazingly, at some point mid- freef fall, just as we're plummeting to our certain demise, our wings fill with just enough air to keep us from crashing into the ground at terminal velocity. It doesn't always look pretty. Often just the opposite, clumsy and out of control.
Let's get a big round of applause to our alumni. [applause] Stay standing for the alma mater. Class of 2026, will you please stand up for the alma mater? Class of 2026, please stand. And now Rand Hatcher will lead the choir in singing our alma mater. and strong to be with your heart. We raise [singing and music] our swelling [singing] to heaven. [singing] Oh h [music] our [singing] [music] praise for your heart we praise. Praise [singing] our song [music] [singing] to our voice is [music and singing] full. Oh, [music] [singing] our dream and [singing] [music] >> [applause] >> Thank you very much, choir. That was outstanding. Please have a seat, class of 2026. And thank you very much, alumni, for participating. We're always proud to have you back. And for the class of 2026, anytime you want to come back and participate, we'd love to have you.
But we figure it out. And teenagers, like fledglings, have been figuring it out for hundreds of thousands of years. And you will, too. But here's the bad news. It never stops. Worse, the list of things to do, the tasks to master, the questions to answer, the problems to solve gets only worse as you get older and acquire ever greater responsibilities. One day, it's passing senior English and graduating high school. The next day, it's getting your electrician's license, paying your rent, calling the insurance company, and renewing your license plate. And the day after that, it's soothing a collicky baby, starting a second job, consolidating your student loans, changing the oil, fixing the linky leaky sink, and cooking dinner. And the real stink is you're not going to know how to do any of it. Seriously, I graduated from college and earned a master's degree, but when I bought my first house, I didn't know how to patch a hole in drywall.
Next up, we're going to hear our gubernator address which will look towards our future. Today's speaker, Sanji Despande, will be attending Cornell University in the fall. Let's give it up for Sanji. [cheering] [applause] Thank you, Mr. Gobble, for that kind introduction. Good evening, everyone. How's it going class of 2026? [cheering] [applause] Once again, my name is Sanji Desh Pande and I'm beyond honored to be speaking to all of you today. Before I begin, I'd like to extend some thank yous. Thank you to all our faculty, friends, and family who have helped shape us and to become who we are today. And also, I'd like to especially thank my mom and dad who have always been there for me. On the topic of parents, that's where I'd like to start my speech. So, every time my dad and I sit down to watch a movie, we're getting ready for battle.
And when I had my first child, I couldn't believe the nurses were going to let my wife and I walk out of the hospital with a brand new baby. Seriously, I thought, please, won't somebody stop us? I wasn't even in certain I'd installed the car seat correctly. This feeling, confusion, doubt, uncertainty has been my most constant companion throughout adulthood. And I'm sorry to say it will be for you, too. But that's also the good news. That's how we grow, learn, and evolve. That's how we develop into fuller versions of ourselves. That's how we acquire wisdom. And the further good news is that you're ready. Even if you're not ready, your presence here this evening is a testament to that. Life is about showing up day in and day out, whether it's easy or hard, happy or sad, boring or not. And the final good news is this is one problem you can't outsource to AI, nor should you want to.
Who can predict the next plot twist first? Unfortunately, I usually lose. And every single time without fail, my dad goes, "I told you so." And nonchalantly walks away. But he walks away because he's already guessed the next scene. And in that, he misses the entire story. So over time, I found a thrill in losing to my dad, waiting to see what actually happens instead of predicting it right away. For the last few years, fellow graduates, we've all been trying to predict what comes next. What will we get on that lame rhetorical analysis that we just took? Is Mr. Aira about to crack another 67 joke? We've truly been through it all. Recall how your plans changed since you first entered through that point your freshman year of high school. That unexpected friend group breakup that led you to explore new friends and that random extracurricular that you got invited to where you found some of your most success.
Not this or any other problem. I want you to wade into the messiness of life and [snorts] wallow in its uncertainty. I want you to grapple with confusion and doubt. You should want these things, too. That means you're doing it right. Because while AI can write for you a perfectly passable paper on wisdom, it can't make you wise. You have to do that yourself. And you can't cheat or plagiarize or TLDDR your way out of it. For that you have to work and study and laugh and cry and succeed and fail and love and grieve all on your own just as people have been doing for thousands of years. This is not only life but also its meaning. And with that I leave you with a final parting gift. Sorry. You should have known it would be a poem when you invited an English teacher to speak at graduation.
Some of our most unexpected moments have turned into our most unforgettable memories. So now as we navigate this new stage of life, you can guest the next scene, but you won't be able to predict your whole story. Even my dad can't predict that for you. Let's take that feeling of uncertainty to embrace the opportunities that we never expected to seize. Go to that party where you know absolutely nobody. Take that class with the professor who has a 2.2 on ratemyprofessor.com and cold email that person you've been stalking on LinkedIn for ages. Regardless of whether it's a terrible or terrific experience, you'll end up learning something new, something valuable. I'm not telling you to not have a plan. I'm telling you to also have a bucket list. No predicting game, just possibilities for your future. The greatest joys in our life aren't planned. They're the surprises we take on the detours along the way.