Five members of the Class of 2026 delivered Senior Speeches within the past week in the Berry Performing Arts Center. Congratulations to Jayla Presley-May ’26 (pictured), Charlotte Szczubelek ’26, Jason Zhong ’26 , Ahmad Khizar ’26 and Nijiany Genao ’26 for sharing stories, insights and gratitude with the community.
Jayla paid tribute to her mother for setting a wonderful example of love, sacrifice and hard work throughout her life. She saluted her mom for having an unstoppable spirit, strength, determination and heart, all of which have made Jayla always feel loved.
Charlotte shared stories from her decade as a W+H student that exhibit the dedication of many teachers who have helped her grow and love learning. She grew up in these hallways and is grateful for the support she’s received from many influential educators.
Jason provided an interesting take on academic persistence and how he’s learned that breaking things down into steps and fundamentals can lead to solving complex problems. He assured his peers that intimidating research can be successful if you believe in yourself and are willing to accept failure.
Ahmad encouraged the audience to live in the present, which he acknowledged is not easy to do with so many people chasing the future. He emphasized not giving up, learning from mistakes and consistency as key elements to a successful journey.
Nijiany told a few interesting stories to illustrate the importance of having friends who can help you laugh through hardships. While she noted that most humans will cross paths with some 100,000 people during their lifetime, it’s important to cherish the moments you have with the most important people in your life.