Dàjiā wǎnshàng hǎo. 

Good evening, dear colleagues, Keystone Academy Trustees, distinguished guests, families and friends of the Class of 2026, and most of all, dear students. 

It is an honor to welcome you to this moment—to gaze upon these young people in the liminal space between their youth and the rest of their lives. 

We are extraordinarily proud of them. Not just for what they have accomplished. Not just for what they have done. But for who they are, and for the promising pathways they are now stepping onto. 

As we begin, let’s take a moment to honor the caring adults in the lives of these remarkable students. 

• Will the families of the Class of 2026 please stand and be recognized?

  Thank you. 

• Now, Keystone’s faculty, staff, and board members—these caretakers and architects of young hearts and minds—please rise and be recognized.

  Thank you.

Each of these people has invested in the growth of the students on this stage tonight. Each of you has made it your life to nurture them. On behalf of all of us in this world they will lead, thank you. 

I want to start by reading two sentences from Keystone Academy’s mission statement. 

These students were toddlers when Keystone’s founders first imagined our New World School. And in the years since, they have grown into the very embodiment of those words. 

The mission reads: 

“Our graduates will possess the intellectual, cultural, and ecological fluency to navigate gracefully the colleges, careers, and communities of their choice. They will know how to apply their emotional intelligence, character, and zest for learning to help develop and improve the communities in which they live.” 

Let us consider what this has meant for the Class of 2026. 

Intellectual fluency. These students have grown into remarkable young people. They have asked hard questions, changed their minds, and argued with evidence and with heart. Sometimes this is in the classroom. And sometimes—I will admit—this has meant stretching rules, testing boundaries, and giving their teachers a few gray hairs. We have caught you being rascals. And honestly? We have loved watching you figure out where the lines are. 

Cultural fluency. They have learned to move between languages, between identities, between ways of seeing the world. They are comfortable with complexity. They belong in more than one place. They are as comfortable in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia or in a village noodle shop in Houshayu, or on the PAC stage, as they will be in the lecture halls and labs of foreign universities. 

Ecological fluency. They understand systems. They see how things connect—people to people, actions to consequences, the local to the global. They have learned that their choices matter, and that small actions can ripple outward. They dislike meatless Monday, but they accept the commitment it symbolizes. Maybe?? 

These students have embodied a broad definition of success. They are a field of wildflowers, not a monocrop. They are all wonderful in their very own ways. 

We can reflect on the wisdom from The Analects of Confucian: 

“君子务本，本立而道生” (Jūnzǐ wù běn, běn lì ér dào shēng).

“The noble person focuses on the roots. Once the roots are established, the way grows.” 

Class of 2026, your roots have been growing here for years—in these classrooms, on these fields, in these friendships, through every challenge and every triumph. And now, because that foundation is deep and strong, your path forward will unfold naturally. You do not need to force your bloom. You simply need to trust what has already taken root. 

Each one of you has grown in your own way, in your own time, toward your own light. Some bloom early. Some take longer. Some are bold and bright. Some are quiet and steady. All of you are beautiful. All of you belong here. 

This is Keystone Academy’s definition of success. There is no single way to bloom. 

The mission goes on. It says our graduates will “know how to apply their emotional intelligence, character, and zest for learning.” 

These three things are not abstract ideals. They are who these students are. We have seen them take care of each other, reflect on their failures, and inspire everyone around them. We have seen them ferociously pursue their passions. 

And what will they do with these skills, these habits of mind, these qualities of heart? 

Our school mission gives the answer: “They will help develop and improve the communities in which they live.” 

This is a humble aspiration. Our founding head of school, Malcolm McKenzie, was fond of saying that at Keystone we aspire to the simple and the elegant. This statement 

“They will help develop and improve the communities in which the live” 

is both simple and elegant. 

Our hopes for our students are high, but they are not complicated. 

Indeed, they have already developed and improved our community here. They have strengthened our school’s culture—from our athletics culture, to House Cups, to KAPs that bridge and build connections between the Primary and Secondary School, to events that bring us all together. They are an awesome family. 

They have made extraordinary contributions to this school, having seen the school grow from a barely finished construction site in 2014 to the humble and beautiful spaces we enjoy today. 

They have defined Keystone, and Keystone has defined them. 

Now, as they begin to move on from this home they have known—whether for two years or twelve—in each one of them is the soil and the seed for a brighter future on our fragile planet. 

Class of 2026, the world does not need more people who fit a single mold. It needs what only you can bring. Your particular curiosity. Your particular kindness. Your particular way of seeing, solving, and serving. 

We cannot wait to see what grows from the seeds you have planted here. “君子务本，本立而道生” (Jūnzǐ wù běn, běnlì érdào shēng). Your roots are strong, now go find your Bloom. 

Congratulations, Class of 2026! 

And now it is my pleasure to Introduce the student speaker for the class of 2026!

Good afternoon everyone, I am Yaoyao 何秋瑶, a student of Keystone since 2016. This is my tenth year here, and it is an absolute honor to represent the graduating Class of 2026. 

Before anything else, I want to express my gratitude to our parents, teachers, advisors, school leaders, and board of trustees for carrying us to this moment, and thank you to the Class of 2026 for surviving long enough to graduate. 

The Keystone Academy Class of 2026 has a long history. We are the first class to graduate after experiencing a full 12 years of Keystone education, starting from Grade 1. Now you all see how that turned out… just kidding. In all honesty, Keystone has raised us to become a group of students with qualities truly worth celebrating. 

I learned from my psychology teacher Mr. Chris that there is a type of memory — flashbulb memory, that is resistant to change because one finds it emotionally arousing. So here I share with you some of the flashbulb memories I made with my class. 

To the now minority of my grade, those who were here in primary school: Do you remember those times during recess where the girls and boys would either quarrel or peek shyly at each other across the soccer fields? Well, I can assure you, that after 10 years, both feelings of disgust and love have grown stronger, disgust because we know each other too well, and love because we know each other too well. 

And then came middle school: Despite the pandemic, the Class of 2026 somehow still found ways to create memories together. Remember the invention of our unique class language: “do something” “what’s this” “lemme teach you?” Or the start of an arm-wrestling era at Temple Fair and Cultural Mosaic? One thing you cannot deny about the class of 2026 is our creativity when it comes to amusing ourselves. 

And finally to my dear classmates in the last three years: DP and college applications have surely knocked us around pretty badly, but it was the thought that everyone around us was struggling through the same thing that helped us tread through the tempest with empathy and care. Someday in the future, we may look back and regard our karaoke sessions at ELP, Charity Ball, and Grade level Meetings as “cringe,” but until that day comes, let that feeling of unity stay with us a little longer. 

But beyond these memories, I began to wonder what truly defines the Class of 2026. You know how 2024 has their diversity and inclusivity, 2025 - their dedication and strength, and then 2026. What makes us special? 

Well, it’s surely not our impressive academics or disciplined self-management skills. After years of observation, I have concluded that the Class of 2026 is defined by a certain kind of sheer stubbornness — the kind that drives people to pursue what they genuinely care about, even when that pursuit may not lead to a pretty resume or a trip to Harvard. 

The incredibly successful Keystone Chinese theatre production 南墙计划 was led by the greatest talents of performing arts in our own Class (and I’m sure you’d all agree after seeing the recital later). 南墙计划 or Smash the Wall perfectly embodies this spirit of 2026. A boy refuses to follow a path set by familial standards and pursues his love for music despite hitting that south wall again and again, forming the cycle of failure, recovery, and pursuit. This is what I see in the Class of 2026, us having the belief that the things we do are meaningful beyond what is expected, the belief that our actions do justice to ourselves and the world around us.

Whether if its from giving it all on the stage of Keystone Idol, rallying house events to see an actual change in school spirit, or just as simple as setting a theme for every GLM, the class of 2026 has truly managed to bring their love for life into this community. One particular memory that stayed with me was how the graduating class helped revive Keystone’s house and athletic spirit through nothing but genuine passion. 

Last year at the final Handball House Tournament, the secondary gym was filled with students cheering proudly for their houses. And as the whistle, marking the beginning of the penultimate match, blew, the crowd erupted with energy — waving pom-poms, shouting trash-talk across the bleachers, and making oohs and ahhs in response to the intense game. A scene filled with energy I had never seen in my 10 years here. And standing there amidst of all that noise, I realized how much spirit and genuine care this class had brought back into our community, not for some college credit or title, but because it came from within here. 

And yes, some will say it is stubborn and reckless for us to follow our hearts, but I dare say that every failed attempt, every set back, every hit against the south wall, stirs no sense of regret from this cohort. 

Today in this world, many things evoke negative emotions: war, famine, inequity, discrimination, deception and it seems as if there is little you can do about it. Even within these walls, at this school, I stand here today, feeling sad. Sad because when I look around I see that things have changed. Sad when I look at myself and our cohort, because we’ve changed. But somethings are inevitable, and I believe no matter where we are, the class of 2026 will always find a place for authenticity in our hearts. 

So to my beloved classmates, wherever life takes us after today, I hope we remember the flashbulb memories we created together. I hope we remain just stubborn enough to care deeply about the people and communities around us, and quoting Howard Thurman “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” 

Thank you, I love you all and Until Next Time.

Parents, Faculty, Trustees, and the Class of 2026...

Today marks the end of one journey, and the beginning of another.

After this ceremony, the students on this stage will have passed through this Archway, and through the school gates, for the last time as Keystone students.

They will be alumni, making their way in the world, taking charge of their lives, serving other communities, and pursuing their dreams.

But they haven’t taken this journey alone. It’s been a journey supported by the wisdom and love of their families, by the friendship and collaboration of their peers, by the expertise, compassion and patience of teachers, and by the warmth and protection of their communities.

So to our parents:

Jiāzhǎngmen, gǎnxiè nínmen xuǎnzé Dǐngshí. Gǎnxiè nínmen de xìnrèn, duì wǒmen kèchéng de xìnxīn, yǐjí jiēnà bìng zūnzhòng wǒmen gòngtóng de jiàzhíguān.

Gǎnxiè nínmen de nàixīn, fèngxiàn, jiānrèn hé guān’ài.

Parents, thank you for choosing Keystone. And to those twenty-one families who joined us in Grade 1, a very special thank you for believing in what at that time, twelve years ago, was only a dream.

Thank you for your trust, your faith in our programmes, and for embracing and honoring our shared values.

Faculty:

On behalf of the class of 2026, thank you for your commitment and dedication to ensuring the best education, and the best care, for our students.

I thank all teachers, across Primary, Middle and High School, including support staff, counselors, dorm parents and advisors who have supported the Class of 2026 with such professionalism, wisdom and compassion.

Class of 2026:

I have watched with… immense pride as you’ve navigated the challenges of High School.

I’ve watched you meet the often difficult demands of school life, with resilience, patience and wisdom -- particularly in Grade 12: the pressures of deadlines, the IO feedback that was sometimes hard to accept, the nail-biting moments when you opened college acceptance emails, but always pushing at the edges of your learning, developing resilience and grit as you faced sometimes overwhelming academic pressures.

I’ve watched you develop as caring, civic-minded leaders, both in formal leadership positions, but also without position, serving the school community, and looking after others, simply because you care.

You are all, each and every one of you, a credit your families, to our school, and to your communities.

But what I want to share with you today is not so much about past successes, of which there are many.

I want to talk about the future, and the importance - as you walk through these gates and under this archway for the last time - of holding on.

Holding on to our five shared values.

Holding on to your commitment to live for others, and to serve your communities.

And more important than anything, holding on to the person inside you, your authentic self, that unique and very special individual, who you’ve only just begun to discover.

I’ve spoken before, at High School assemblies, about a very worrying crisis which is happening at top college campuses in the United States - colleges which most of you will be attending in the Fall.

It’s what many researchers are now calling a Crisis of … Meaninglessness.

Research by the American Psychological Association, for example, shows that up to 46% of students at top-ranked colleges in the U.S., including international students, report feeling ‘hopeless’ - without hope.

65% of students report a wide range of social and emotional challenges from mild to severe depression, and worse. 30% were so depressed, they found it impossible to function.

And what the research is saying is that these students are unhappy, without direction, because for 12 years, throughout their formal education, they have pursued very narrow definitions of success.

They have lost touch with their sense of self, and their purpose in life, because they’ve forgotten to listen to the small voice inside, which says, ‘This is who I really am’.

So this so-called ‘Crisis of Meaninglessness’ is a situation in which very well-educated, highly-intelligent young people, having been through 12 years of very tightly structured education, with the pressure of grades, exams, college applications, and complex programme requirements... end up not knowing why.

Class of 2026, despite your incredible achievements. Despite this deeply caring community. And despite your successes in exploring and developing your authentic selves...  you are not yet immune to this crisis.

There will be times when you question your purpose. There will be times when you lose your sense of self, and forget who you really are, and why you are meant to be here, alive, on this planet.

So the question I want to address, which I hope you will take deeply and permanently to heart, is this:

In the years ahead, how will you continue to honor your authentic self, so that you live a true and honest life, a life of meaning, and not a life dictated by others?

In answering this question, I want to draw from some of the deepest and oldest wisdom that exists in our world – from the knowledge of indigenous communities, communities with ancient heritage, of generations of people deeply embedded in their communities, and in their lands.

Communities like the Zhuang ethnic minority who we celebrate in the design of this year’s graduation stole.

And... I choose to draw from this knowledge… for a good reason.

As the Class of 2026 knows well, through your studies in Theory of Knowledge, with all our amazing technology, our scientific advances, and our Artificial intelligence, we ignore indigenous knowledge, at our peril.

It’s a deeply important lesson to remember, as you continue your education, that…time and time again ... the profound wisdom of indigenous peoples, re-discovered and re-directed by modern science, has improved and saved lives.

Cancer treatments, fire-prevention, crop diversity, forest management, sustainability, emotional well-being - the list is long.

Things we mess up, that they already knew.

So... drawing from this deep and profound body of knowledge, of indigenous wisdom, I come back to the question:

How can you, the Class of 2026, continue to honor your authentic self, so that you live a life of meaning, and not a life dictated by others?

For 20,000 years, the San tribes of the Kalahari, whom we used to call the Kalahari bushmen, the oldest inhabitants of Southern Africa, have had a very powerful way of framing this question.

They talk about two kinds of hunger. They talk about the Little Hunger, which is the hunger for basic needs, for food, shelter, water. In our world, the Little Hunger might refer to the hunger for a 7 instead of a 6, or for Harvard instead of Princeton.

Little Hunger.

And then they talk about the Big Hunger or the Great Hunger, and this is the hunger… for meaning. The desire, the urge, to live a life that matters.

And they embed this need, this urge, into the activities and rituals of daily life, through rites of passage, collective singing, storytelling, art, and through the daily practices of sharing food, and living together as a community.

So the Great Hunger for meaning, in Kalahari culture, is woven into the fabric of every day life.

It is not an add-on, it’s not an afterthought, as it is with so many modern communities, and indeed, with so many schools.

So the first indigenous insight is simply this: Put meaning at the center of your life. Make it a daily practice, to reflect on the meaning of your actions, their value to yourself and others, and how this connects to your greater purpose, your reason for being alive.

This is the wisdom of the Kalahari.

And by the way, it’s worth noting that, over 20,000 years, the Kalahari peoples have never developed weapons of war. I’m just saying.

The second indigenous INSIGHT, the second life-affirming message from one of the oldest indigenous cultures, is about… beauty.

Beauty.

The Navajo indigenous peoples of the SouthWestern United States, in Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, place supreme importance on something they call Hozho - H-O-Z-H-O - Hozho.

It means…  ‘Walking in Beauty’. It’s a state of perfect harmony, balance and order, encompassing the cosmic, natural, human and supernatural worlds.

And the Navajo express this with a song they call the Night Chant. It’s a song for healing – healing from physical illness, but also from spiritual or existential or emotional hurt. It’s a very simple song reminding us how important it is to recognize the beauty which surrounds us.

And it goes like this:

"With beauty before me, I walk. With beauty behind me, I walk. With beauty above me, I walk. With beauty below me, I walk. From the East, beauty has been restored. From the West, beauty has been restored."

Beauty, in the Navajo sense, is not just physical. And it’s not a destination, a place you get to. It’s a continuous, mindful practice of being aware of the beautiful gifts we can give and receive, every day, in every moment, whether it’s the beauty of nature, the beauty of kindness, or the beauty of courageous words or actions.

And I know that many of you, Class of 2026, already walk in beauty.

One example of this was shared with me by a Grade 11 student just the other day.

This student was in Grade 9 at the time this happened. It was his first day at Keystone. He had just arrived in Residential Life, and he was lonely and afraid. It was his first experience living away from home.

It was also his first experience of the seven o’clock evening check-in, when rooms have to be tidied, ready for evening study, and when the proctors come round checking the dorms.

This new Grade 9 student didn’t know what to expect.

So that evening, one of the proctors came to his room. And the proctor - who would normally give instructions about what to do – saw immediately that the student was distressed. Instead of telling him to tidy up his socks or sweep the floor, he did something … very simple. He began to help him to make his bed.

Now - if you had walked past at that moment, you might have thought nothing of it. Two students making a bed. It seems simple enough, very normal, nothing out of the ordinary.

But for that for the Grade 9 student this was actually a life-changing moment. The fact that he remembered and was talking about it three years later, tells you how much it meant.

Because what he said to me was this:

He said: ‘In that moment, I felt seen. I felt cared for. My fears immediately went away. And not only that, but this simple action, from someone who was a big brother to me, also gave me an understanding of what true leadership is. That true leadership… is about noticing people. It’s about caring for others. And now, as I try to be a leader, I will always remember that older boy, and what he showed me.’

So... who was that proctor who demonstrated such kindness, and changed a younger boy’s life? Well, I’m not going to tell you his name, but I can tell you that he’s sitting up here on this stage today.

So when the Navajo talk about ‘Walking in Beauty’ - that’s exactly what they mean.

So, Class of 2026…  this is the second indigenous insight I want to share with you:

Live each day in beauty - giving and receiving beauty, being attuned to and grateful for the beauty around you - in nature, in acts of kindness, and in the courageous words and actions of others...

This will keep you grounded. It will remind you of the extraordinary beauty in the simplest things. It will bring you hope.

So what is the third indigenous insight?

The third insight, the third life-affirming message from indigenous communities …  is about your gifts… the gifts that you, the Class of 2026, bring to the world.

The Lakota, or Sioux tribes of the United States, have a ritual called han-bleh-chay-ya-pee, which literally means "to cry for a vision".

It’s a coming-of-age ritual, undertaken by adolescents, young adults in their late teens, just like all of you who are graduating today.

The young woman or man goes to a remote place, somewhere far, far removed from everyday life, to spend time alone, in nature, reflecting on their inner self and their connection with the world.

And by alone, it means not only no people, but no phone, no TV, no computer, no books, no games, nothing.

They stay there isolated, with just enough food and water, for many days at a time. They get lonely. They get hungry. They complain bitterly. They cry.

They have nothing to do except be with themselves, and with nature.

So it’s a ritual of complete humility... and of total surrender... to one’s inner nature and to the surrounding world.

And in that solitude, by listening deeply and humbly to their hearts, they experience something remarkable. A stream of thoughts, images, feelings and ideas, bubbling up from their subconscious, passes through them in their loneliness.

It is, in other words, a kind of vision, which the young woman or man then shares with the elders of the tribe, who interpret it for them.

And this is the important part. What the interpretation provides is a lifelong map for purpose.

And it reveals three things: It reveals their true nature, their role in the community, and the "medicine" they are meant to carry.

And by medicine, they mean the unique gift or gifts that you will bring to heal, or support, or nurture your people, your communities, and the world.

So in our world, in our context, Class of 2026, your medicine, the medicine you bring, could be your incredible coding skills... or your talent for engineering...  your passion for writing and directing plays... your kind and caring nature... your supremely beautiful singing voice... or your talent for leadership...

So this is the third insight: Take time alone, in nature, without technology, to reflect deeply and humbly on who you are, and the gifts you bring, the medicine you bring, to the world.

And I really want to emphasize the importance of nature. It’s time alone in nature that makes the difference. Science confirms what the Kalahari elders, and the Lakota knew in their bones: that contact with nature is not a luxury. It is a non-negotiable requirement for human flourishing.

So… what these indigenous and ancient communities understand is that the unsatisfying life is lived in the cage of the small self... while the satisfying life is lived in the service of others, and for something much bigger than oneself.

Class of 2026... many of you are already attuned to the Great Hunger, the hunger for meaning. Many of you are already living your true, authentic selves.

I’m not going to name you, but I do want to celebrate some examples.

Just yesterday, one of today’s graduates shared with me the unique gift she wants to bring to the world, her medicine – which is, literally, to explore the medical uses of Artificial intelligence, and to use this to support the healthcare needs of people in rural China.

What an incredible gift.

Another student graduating today has connected with her authentic self, and found meaning, through her deep passion and commitment to theatre. In her time at Keystone, she has acted, directed, written and created solo and group performances. She wrote to me saying, and I quote: "Over time, I realized that theatre could be much more than entertainment. I began to understand that theatre could become an incredibly powerful space… for questioning society, reflecting on history, and challenging the way people think. Theatre stopped being, for me, only about being ‘good on stage’. It became about trying to move people… to reflect, question, and think critically. Theatre at Keystone helped me find a deeper sense of purpose that I know I will continue long after graduation..."

That student, I think you will agree, has found her medicine.

And another student graduating today… shared with me… that the most meaningful experience of her time Keystone was during the Grade 11 ELP trip to Inner Mongolia. She wrote to me, talking about the sincerity of her conversations with local families, and learning from Mongolian grandmas about their nomadic lifestyles. She said, and I quote: "The sincerity of those conversations ... reminded me of the importance of human connections across cultures, and I carried that same curiosity and openness into later trips to Tibet, where I spoke with monks and pilgrims about how they balance their traditions with the modern world."

So Class of 2026, you demonstrate very clearly that you can be your authentic selves. That you can live lives of profound meaning. That you can explore the world with the deepest curiosity, empathy, and sense of connection with others.

I’m not worried about what you can do.

What I hope, and this is my deepest wish for all of you, is that you will hold on… to these things.

Hold on.

Because it’s very easy to let go. As we’ve seen with the so-called Crisis of Meaninglessness…  happening now on US college campuses… it’s easy to lose your sense of purpose, and in the face of extreme external pressure, misinformation, bias, lack of reflection, or misunderstanding, to forget to live a meaningful life.

So, in the spirit of holding on... of staying true to yourselves…I want to leave you with my three Greatest Hopes.

First: Make sure you discover, and then hold on, to your true nature, your authentic self.

Second: Know your medicine: understand and honor the gifts you bring to the world.

And finally: Walk… in beauty. Walk through the world mindful, at every moment, of the beauty of nature, the beauty of kindness, and the beauty in all of us.

Take these things as your measures of success.

Thank you.

Good evening, proud parents, families, faculty, and most importantly, Keystone’s founding class – The Class of 2026.

Standing here, looking at you all dressed in your gowns, it’s hard not to think about the past. It’s impossible not to think about the future. But tonight, I’m also thinking about something else.A phrase that can be found on the walls of this very academy, in nearly every classroom:

Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu.

“Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu。”

A person is a person through other persons. We affirm our humanity when we acknowledge that of others. 

And I think that matters deeply tonight, because whether you realize it or not, the story of your time here has never just been about individual achievement. It has always been about community. About the very people sitting beside you. 

I recently saw a simple but eye-opening chart on Tim Urban’s blog Wait But Why. The chart was about the time we spend with the people we love — with our community. 

Urban was calculating the time he had spent with his parents and how much time he realistically had left with them in person. By the time he left for college, he had already used up 93% of that total time. 

The point hit him like a truck.

Ninety-three percent. 

And it made me think about all of you. 

Your class has spent well over 2000 days walking these halls. 

In that time, you’ve made life long frienships, celebrated together on the sports field, stayed up far too late finishing assignments, complained about the DP assessment calendar, and learned how to navigate life in this bustling, chaotic, incredible corner of the world. 

And now, somehow, you’re about to leave it behind. 

Next year, you will scatter. 

You’ll head to universities in the UK, the US, Canada, and beyond. And when you do, a subtle but profound shift is going to happen in your relationships – one you might not even recognize until years from now. 

After tonight, the people you got used to seeing “every day” become the people you see “every holiday.” And then, if you’re not careful, “every holiday” becomes “every few years.” 

That might sound saddening. Maybe even frightening. 

But all it means is that after tonight, you start keeping track of time differently. No more counting in cycles, semesters or report cards. 

From tonight onwards, you measure your lives in moments. 

And each of you becomes a collector of moments. 

You study hard, yes. Build your career, yes. Chase your ambitions, of course. 

But also build a life that makes room for the people who made you who you are — and for the moments you get to share with them. 

Because at the end of the day, community is not something you simply leave behind at Keystone. 

It’s something you keep rebuilding, over and over, with the people who matter to you. 

Which brings me to this: my advice to you, Class of 2026, is simple — never forget the people who have been your foundation. 

Never forget the community that has supported you, or the people who have walked alongside you and helped shape who you are today. 

I recently came across a quote that has stayed with me: the price of community is inconvenience. 

And I think that is a powerful reminder that even when it is hard, even when you are tired, continue to show up for the people around you, because in time, you will find that when you are at your lowest, they will show up for you too. 

And if you ever find yourself in a place where you feel you have no one to rely on, be that person for someone else. Create that space. Build that community. 

And to think back to what I said earlier about the time you have left with the people you love, about that 7% I spoke about earlier. It is not a fixed number. You can grow it intentionally by creating moments with the people who matter most. That, to me, is one of the most precious parts of life: choosing to keep your loved ones close and making memories that time alone could never account for. 

These moments don’t run out on their own. 

They last as long as we keep making them. 

Congratulations, Class of 2026. 

Go forward, and carry your people with you.