Creating a speech that encapsulates one’s time at Nobles and delivers a message to one’s peers is an extremely difficult task. This year, the honor of being an elected graduation speaker has been given to History and Social Science and English Faculty Michael Denning, Christian Gonzalez Peña (Class I), and Hailey Rashes (Class I).

 “When I found out, I was definitely honored and excited for one more chance to speak in front of my grade,” Rashes said. Denning felt similarly. “It’s not the reason why you’re teaching, but you are hoping to connect with the students and help them to explore new ideas. I took that as an affirmation that they felt like what we were doing in class mattered,” he said. His speech, entitled “A Final Class,” will reflect on incredibly defining moments forged in the classroom. Gonzalez Peña discovered that he had been nominated to speak during his revisit day to Bowdoin College and was shocked. “I have only been here for three years, and it meant so much to me that my class chose me,” Gonzalez Peña said. The graduation ceremony is an incredibly special atmosphere for both parents and students. “When you are speaking at graduation, you get to talk to a broader community. I think it’s important to make the speech specific about our class, but also relevant to the whole community so they stay engaged,” Rashes said. 

All three speakers are excited to be presenting together. “[Rashes] and [Gonzalez Pena] are both amazing. Just tremendous people and exceptional leaders, and I know that they will both do well,” Denning said. “I want to make the speech as much about the class as possible, because in a lot of ways it is the last words they will hear on their way out of Nobles,” Gonzalez Peña said. The famed graduation ceremony tent has a capacity of over 2,000 people, including students, their families, and even the trustees. Rashes and Gonzalez Peña are both starting to feel the reality of the end of their time here setting in. “Ever since middle school, it has been just getting to college, and now, since we are there, it’s definitely a bigger change,” Gonzalez Peña said. 

While the nominees wanted to keep the specifics of their talks a surprise, Denning, Rashes, and Gonzalez Peña hope their speeches will serve as the final reflection on the Class of 2026’s time at Nobles. Making sure that their speech is unique to themselves is a large part of the creative process. “What makes this school so special is really the togetherness and the goofiness of the kids, and the times that we break away from the mold of ‘I have a Bio quiz at 8:00 a.m., and that’s it,” Gonzalez Peña said. Rashes also felt the complex nature of leaving this school: “Leaving Nobles is definitely bittersweet, because you get to move onto new things, but it is definitely sad to leave a place that has been so caring and amazing,” Rashes said. The Class of 2026 has limited time to fully embrace their Nobles experience, and the speeches of Denning, Gonzalez Peña, and Rashes will aim to encapsulate the uniqueness of Nobles that so often goes overlooked. This school is a truly remarkable place that will leave lasting impacts on every person in the community. The togetherness is what brings everyone back, but it can be hard to put into words. The graduation speakers have been chosen by their class to try.