“Does anyone here have a helium tank we could use?”
“Please Venmo me $30 or you can’t get on the bus.”
“Reminder—Wear Pajamas tomorrow!!!”
“Happy Holidays—Olympics prep rests for no one—fill out the form, see attached.”
“Reminder – PICTURE IN HS GYM 3PM. DECORATIONS SETUP IN HS GYM 7PM—SEE YOU THERE YAY YAY YAY.”
These are just a few of the GroupMe messages I’ve texted this year to every senior here today. You know me as something of a planner. It’s who I am, and I’ve been that person, unapologetically. But if I had to give myself a piece of advice, it’d be to let go of planning every second of every day. Because the very best things are most often the ones not planned.
There’s a riff on a saying I love: Man plans and the Universe laughs. I really believe that life has a way of pointing us in the right direction, even if we spin around, do a couple backflips and then zig zag in the opposite direction.
In high school, the days can feel really similar. We spend so much time making schedules, “locking in” hour after hour on assignments and checking off days to reach a goal, whatever it might be, that we start to miss the point.
In fact, we’ve been planning for and counting down to this moment for the past two months… more like four years, if we’re being honest. But I didn’t expect half of what happened in these past four years, and I certainly couldn’t have planned for it, good and bad.
That one college you thought was going to be everything, and you planned your life around? Dear Kira, regret to inform you…
That soccer spot that you thought you were going to get? Nice try, stick to the bench. The part you thought you were going to get in the musical? Ensemble works too! But then funny things happen. When doors close, others really can and do open in the most unexpected ways. You lose a promised internship, but then a year later you might be presenting research to a scientist from India.
Walt Disney planned a career in journalism and was fired from the Kansas City Star because they said he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” Vera Wang planned a career in figure skating before becoming an international fashion powerhouse. Steve Jobs? He never planned to be fired from the company he founded, only to return 12 years later making Apple into … well, Apple.
And think about some of the best times in high school, and senior year especially: They were unplanned. They’ve been about that last minute late night trip to Carvel, or cranking up music in a carpool with random people you’d not typically speak to but end up laughing with and loving on the way home from practice. Or the time my friend Anderson took a chance and performed “Lip Service” at Olympics, and the crowd went wild for the greatest kick split we’ve ever seen.
If there’s anything I’ve learned from this place, it’s that you have to push yourself past your plans.
For many of us, we’re soon leaving behind what we have here in Pelham and this amazing community of parents, teachers, staff and administrators who have loved and supported us. We’ll be moving on from what we have built here and know—the roots of our community—like the roots of the tree in Sabine’s yard and the community Jamie has talked about building with this amazing class—all of which we’ll take with us into our next chapter. And thankfully, neither Julia nor I will be bugging you about turning in a permission slip or signing up for your Olympics roster. But moving forward means moving on and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Don’t plan every second of your life. Be spontaneous. Because even though it might feel scary, the rewards can be even greater than you ever expected.
As we embark on these next four years, I challenge you to say yes to the unplanned. Take risks. Jump in. Join a random pickleball club even if you haven’t touched a racquet in your life. Learn chess, or to play the piano, apply for a job that you might not be qualified for. Take a class because there’s something about it that you can’t place but you’re psyched to try it out. It’s not time wasted if you’ve learned a new skill, met someone new or had an experience that made you think differently. If you’ve ever seen me on the unified basketball court, you’d know it’s okay to be horrible at something if only you care enough.
If you work hard, and you show people that you care, you will get far in life. Go be your own bench captain and cheer yourself on through something new and difficult. I know you and this amazing class of students and friends are going places. And I can’t wait to see what comes next for all of us. Thank you all, especially Jules, and congrats Class of 2025!
Student Government President Kira Findikyan gave this speech during the commencement ceremonies Saturday at Pelham Memorial High School.
