Together, we make up the incredible Class of 2026

By ALDEN SWANSON

KCHS Class of 2026 Valedictorian

Good morning teachers, staff, families, friends and, most importantly, my fellow members of the Class of 2026.

I am honored and delighted to speak to you today.

Now, I know I’m not the most popular person in our class. I spend most of my time studying, going to Board of Ed meetings or practicing my saxophone — I’m a bit of a nerd.

I’m not besties with every person in this room, or even the majority.

However, because we live in the smallest school district in the state, I do feel that I’ve gotten to know you all in different ways. I’ve connected with some of you through music and sports, or through being in classes together since elementary school. I’ve been really close with some of you, and have admired others from afar — not in a creepy way, I promise.

Even though I don’t know each of your favorite bands or middle names, I feel like I’ve gotten to know us pretty well, and I am who I am because of who we are.

But, who are we?

We’re lots of things.

For one, we are kind. Back in tenth grade, I went through my first breakup —which sucked. Guys, I was a hot mess — I could not make it through class without bawling my eyes out — it was ridiculous. Juliana Carranza saw me struggling and said to herself, “I gotta help this girl out,” and she did. She invited me to a birthday party so I’d get out of the house. She Facetimed me and made me laugh by trying (and failing) to play her old flute. She made sure I knew that I had a safe space to be dramatic, angry or sad. We were never the best of friends, but she saw that I was having a rough time and she showed up. That’s the kind of person you want to have in your corner.

We are also joyful. A lot of you guys may not remember this, but back in first grade, Tayden Sosa was one of my best friends. We had so much fun together — We’d hang out during recess, we ate lunch together. We were the dynamic duo of Mrs. Hopkins’ class. I got this awesome tea party set for my birthday and all I wanted to do was have a big tea party. It probably wasn’t his first choice of playdate activities, but Tayden was such an agreeable dude, he just was like “Let’s do it.”  We spent the next couple of days planning our menu of strawberry shortcake and sweet tea. Since first grade, we’ve drifted apart, we have different friend groups, we don’t move in the same circles. But I am always reminded when I see his smile, what a gift he was to 7-year-old me, that carefree little girl whose biggest concern was the color of the napkins to get for the tea party with her best bud. For the rest of my life, I’ll carry that friendship in me, and it will always bring me joy.

We are also passionate. I’ve never met someone as determined as Mary Jane Joiner. She works so hard in all areas of her life: school, work, sports, everything — I don’t understand how she’s still standing with all that she does. But MJ has shown us that it all pays off. She’s going to college to do the thing that she is so good at: being on a team. I’ve never shared the field with her, but I know this girl is a force to be reckoned with, and I would not want to be between her lacrosse ball and the goal. I am so glad that I have gotten to know her, and to see what an awesome life you can build for yourself if you have the will to do so.

We are also bold. Kelly Sengprasert Galan is someone who is always unapologetically, 100% herself. She always serves a look in her super stylish outfits that show her creativity and an eye for detail that I really wish I had. And her individuality extends beyond her fashion choices. She is never afraid to express her opinion, enthusiasm or joy with everyone around her. This girl will yell at you from across the lunch room if she likes your shoes. She’s never too cool for school, which I think is the coolest way to be. Her sheer refusal to believe herself as anything less than spectacular is something that has helped me become a more sure version of myself.

One thing we are not is quitters. I have seen our football team run onto that field every game with the energy and determination of an NFL squad — sometimes down 10 players, sometimes competing on a field full of holes, sometimes knowing that they might get blown out. And I promise that I’m not trying to rag on you, guys — I’ve seen you tackle, and I know you could take me out if you wanted to. I’m saying that your refusal to back down with so much going against you made it easy to cheer you on. When I look back on our high school football games, I’m not going to be thinking about the scoreboard, I’m going to remember how you stuck it out and kept fighting against the odds. Y’all did us proud.

We are musicians. Athletes. Scholars. Farmers. Friends. We are so many different things, and together, we make up the incredible Class of 2026. 

Whenever someone learns that I’m graduating, all of the questions they ask are about what I’m going to do or who I’m going to be. But these aren’t the right questions.

Some people act like our worth is determined by what we do with ourselves after high school, that the shiny medal is this big unknown future that we have to try to get, that the important stuff happens when we’re adults “out in the real world.”

But that misses the point that we’ve done so much already. We’re already people with friendships to cherish and memories to share and stories to tell. People who have led messy, meaningful, passionate, joyful, important, real lives.

I still don’t know who I am — not entirely. Not yet. But as I walk off this stage today, I feel lucky and grateful to be part of who we are.