Stella Harvard, senior class president at Hellgate High School, told the Class of 2025 to imagine life as a quilt of experiences and to “be bold in the color of fabric that you choose.”

Harvard used a childhood metaphor—“the sparkly pink tutu” among other keepsakes—to encourage graduates to carry forward what has shaped them and to stitch new experiences onto their life’s ‘quilt.’ “I encourage you class of 2025 to be bold in the color of fabric that you choose, in the strength of each stitch and to make choices that piece together a beautiful quilt,” she said.

Faith Yu, student body president, urged classmates to “capture it with your presence” and to notice moments that matter. Yu thanked families, staff and mentors and shared peers’ advice she collected while preparing the address: “People are usually kinder than you expect them to be. Be where you are celebrated, not tolerated.”

Yu also reflected on how quickly high school passes and encouraged graduates to be present: “When something matters, notice it. When someone makes you feel seen, thank them.” She closed by taking a final class photograph and thanking classmates for the past four years.

Both addresses referenced shared experiences—masked freshman year, academic and extracurricular achievements—and emphasized gratitude toward parents, teachers and staff.