Excerpts from the speeches may have been lightly edited for clarity and space.

Brielle Attanasio

Springside Chestnut Hill Academy

Every senior must write a senior speech about a topic of their choice, and present it to the entire high school, just the seniors, or in advisory. I sat down, for several hours, with the notes app on my phone and a pad and pen, and watched every senior speech. All 125 students up here. I felt I couldn’t represent my class today, without listening to what they had to say. There are countless messages left by the class of 2023.  In this speech, however,  the one thing I think that covers them all: Something that will benefit everyone here, for the rest of our lives. Just, Listen. Everyone deserves to be heard. 

Riley Blore

Abington Friends School

There are a few necessary lessons we have learned on our human journey: always say please and thank you, don’t put a fork in the toaster, don’t butt in line for recess, and definitely do not eat yellow snow. We collect these little lessons while navigating through life and learning how the world works.

Lesson #1: Be a bucket filler, not a bucket dipper. Fill others’ buckets with life and support, and in turn, you will fill your own bucket. 

Lesson #2: Don’t return a wrong for a wrong. Turning the other cheek is subversive, not the action of a passive doormat.  

Lesson #3: Choose joy. Choosing to carry a bag of joy doesn’t mean we are naive to the ugliness, challenge and sometimes suffering that must be navigated. It is the opposite, we have full knowledge of the ugly, and in spite of it we come prepared, with resources.

Zach Curvan

The Crefeld School

For some of us, we are excited about the next step in our journey. For some of us, we are nervous of what's next to come. And for some of us, we want nothing  more than to get the hell out of here and enjoy the summer while we can. But for all of us, we are here together to celebrate and remember all of our hard work we’ve done for the past 13 years. As we finish this important chapter of our lives, we move forward and continue to fill out our blank pages with memories, adventures, and achievements. Although, unlike English class, we cannot skip ahead to see how the next chapter will end, because sometimes, it’s nice to enjoy the scenic route.

Alessandra Fusaro

Germantown Friends 

Whether you have spoken at worship or not, you have probably experienced that “feeling” at least once. As you gather the thoughts in your mind, your heart rate might start to climb. You may even break out in a sweat. In all my years at GFS, there were three times when I planted my hands on the bench and pushed myself up.

My favorite message took place during our grade meeting for worship during No Phones Day. As I spoke about my nearly insurmountable addiction to YouTube, I was met with encouraging smiles and laughter. After Meeting was over, classmates came up and told me how much they loved what I said. Moments like these demonstrate how Meeting can be a place for all types of emotions, ideas, and even breakthroughs.

Ben Goldberg

Germantown Friends

My first day at GFS looked a little different than most people’s. I carried my stuffed dog with me, wore a diaper, and was one year old. Seventeen years later, here we are, and it feels especially touching to be up here speaking for my classmates, or as I still think of them all: The new kids. 

But first, there’s a very important group of people I want to thank. Over the years, we have been incredibly fortunate to work with an amazing group of teachers. They always pushed us to learn, but more importantly, always made time for us, in or out of class, school or life related. We could turn to them whether we needed help with a physics problem set, a Shakespeare essay, or just a space to vent. They never lacked answers, advice, mints, or pop tarts.

Dev Gupta

Friends’ Central School

How does one encapsulate four years of high school, let alone nine years of Friends’ Central in a five-minute speech? I had nothing, so I turned to Google.  I found that, much like the rest of my high school career, the answer lay on Wikipedia and its cited sources. A speech often follows the structure of starting in the past and interlaying future implications. But I’m not going to do that,  largely because Mr. Rosengarten made a big deal about not doing what Wikipedia says, but also because I think that it misses a major plot point: Where we are now. We are sitting on the Graduation Terrace - not for class, or lunch, or meeting for worship -  but for graduation.

Jabril Hampton

Abington Friends School

COVID hit us midway through 9th grade, and we didn’t fully return to school until 11th grade. I know some of you might feel bad for us, or think we were robbed of our precious teenage years, but ultimately, I think that the good outweighs the bad, and I’ll tell you why. When we returned from COVID, this class of teenagers had the early realization that nothing in life is promised. With this new perspective on life, I feel that we genuinely grew a real appreciation for each other, I saw you all talk to somebody that you may not have been friends with before, I felt the spread of love and positivity constantly, and I saw everybody here really push themselves to be something more. 

Cliff Harling

William Penn Charter School

At Penn Charter, it is sometimes easy to let materialistic things such as new buildings and beautiful playing fields catch your attention, but I believe the true magic happens inside the classroom. The dedication and unwavering guidance that our teachers at Penn Charter embody has led to true and lasting impacts on me and my peers. 

Sydney Jubilee

W.B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences

While academic achievements hold their own significance, they fail to capture the immense value of the practical experiences we have gained immersing ourselves in the world of agriculture. Through hands-on work, we have learned the importance of patience and perseverance. We have developed a deep understanding of the cycle of life, from planting and feeling the sun on our backs, taking care of our animals small or large, composting, and food safety. These experiences are ingrained in our memories, shaping our character and fostering a deep respect for the living organisms that surround us. They have instilled in us a sense of responsibility to care for our planet and its diverse inhabitants.

Chet Kempinski

William Penn Charter School

Class of 2023, we will all be facing new challenges next year and beyond. I challenge you to embrace these opportunities, known and unknown, and attack every day with a great attitude and a smile on your face. Be thankful and confident you can always fall back on the lessons we learned at Penn Charter. Quaker principles such as stewardship, service, and honoring the light in others will carry you far in school but also in life.

Evan John Mollick

La Salle College High School

This turning of a page or transition to the next volume, as we move away from La Salle; may come with excitement or fear. Excitement to create new memories and pursue new passions, or fear of independence and being released from the shelter of our families. It has always fascinated me that the same experience can cause two vastly different emotions in separate people, but that is just the human condition. It is often sadness that teaches us the beauty of joy, suffering that teaches us the importance of compassion, and heartbreak that teaches us the most genuine forms of love. 

Cabot Alexander Morrissey

La Salle College High School

What you can’t measure from the outside is the ‘something’ that is LaSalle.  I say something, because it is so hard to define, and all of us would be hard pressed to summarize it. We came to La Salle in August 2019 from many backgrounds, committing ourselves to work hard and willing to accept the brotherhood we had all heard so much about. When we were dropped off at the main entrance on our first day of school, the band was playing, the Explorer Mascot burst with bounds of energy, Brother James and Mr. O’Toole were there to greet us and then we entered the doors. When we crossed that threshold, we each began to find our own La Salle.

Grace O’Brien

Mount Saint Joseph Academy

Most of you know that two years ago I sadly lost my father. I received a card shortly after his passing on which I reflect today. When I received the card, this card, delivered by a classmate,  I had no idea the impact it would have on my life. I opened it during a time of darkness and grief,  but this card was a beacon of hope and light because it was signed by each of you. Reading each  of your signatures and little messages and looking at the little hearts you drew made me feel supported and gave me a sense of belonging. This card reminded me of the strong community we have. In both good and bad times, this community is a constant blessing. 

Adrian Pennick

Germantown Friends 

High school is one of the most pivotal and important parts of your life, you guys. So we should all be thankful for the people beside us as we have all made connections to look at one and call them a friend. We can also look at our past selves and be thankful for the teachers and staff who have supported us along the way. As we move forward with today’s graduation, I want us all to really look at and to really celebrate the brilliant and accomplished people that we have all grown to be. And, most importantly, I want us to cherish one another and the time we have spent growing together. Never forget what has changed within you and what you have changed in the people around you.

Chloe Pinto

William Penn Charter School

School can be annoying, but we learn the most from uncomfortable or annoying situations. I don’t believe we actually need to know everything about Mesopotamia or memorize all the biological processes of the human body, but as I realized in eighth grade, whatever it is that you love, do it well. But you should also do the things you dread the most. They can be just as important in life as the things you love.

Gabriel Riccardi

Friends’ Central School

Whether you spent three and a half years as a part of this class, or 14, we each have been a main contributor in shaping its identity. Despite the vast array of paths we all have taken to get here, we have become a tightly bound unit just like the seeds of a dandelion. Very soon, we will all take flight, where we will root and bloom again in dozens of different places.

Sam Wang

Germantown Academy

An  85-year-long Harvard study found that there was one factor that made people the most happy. It wasn’t money. Or career satisfaction. Instead, they found nothing is more important than human connection. As I look around, I see a community that I’ve been grateful to connect with, whether that’s been as friends, teachers, teammates, or classmates. 

But as we move into a brand new environment this fall, how do we build fresh human connections? In order to melt that social ice, we have to take action and move towards active kindness and generosity.

Jikai “Kyrie” Yang 

Springside Chestnut Hill Academy

My name is Jikai Yang and Kyrie. You may wonder, why does that kid have two names? In China, we believe that your name makes up for things that you don’t have in your life. Therefore, when I first came to America, I named myself Kyrie after the basketball player Kyrie Irving to compensate for something that I did not obtain for most of my life – sportsmanship.

Yeah, I quit in the middle of the 400 meters. Yes, I left Chris open for the three point shot in the corner when we were down by 8 points. So what, I was a quitter. Four years ago, when I first came to SCH, I did not even know if I was gonna graduate or if I would drop out sophomore year when I was stuck in China for the whole year [because of COVID] and had to take classes from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. 

But here we are, at the graduation ceremony of the class of 2023. I find that I am much much more grateful for things that I didn’t quit than those that I did.