Senior Speech: Nethra Srivatsan

Graduating class of 2026, we made it! None of us learned how to ride a bike without training wheels on day one. Similarly, it took a lot of sleepless nights, endless DeltaMath assignments, and worrying about our challenging classes to get to this stage. When people see the smiles on our faces today, they see happiness. Nobody sees the fear we carried within for 4 years. From the fear of failing classes to potentially disappointing our families, we’ve been through the trenches of high school to get here. Honestly, stress didn’t magically disappear on the first day of senior year. For me, it was in the second semester that I stopped getting anxious about the future. 

I would be lying if I said I instantly grew and matured on the first day of high school. Let’s be honest: freshman year was a petrifying experience for all of us. I was in my comfort zone, refused to try new things, and kept myself occupied at home with school. It took me two long years of high school for me to step out of my comfort zone. I was given an opportunity to be a part of the debate team. I joined Speech and Debate, thinking I’d go to one meeting, but somehow ended up going to many tournaments. I still remember standing outside the room where I was going to have my first-ever debate, trying to fake confidence, realizing my opponents had been debating for what felt like centuries. When I left that day, I found I loved debating. And as cliché as it may sound, it gave me the voice I never knew I needed.

Learning how to ride a bike without training wheels can be terrifying. We didn’t give up after the first few times we fell, but we kept going. High school is pretty similar. I’d like to leave you with an inspirational quote by Rajinikanth: “Naan veezhven endru nanaithayo?” It translates to: "Do you really think I would fall now?"

I’d like to thank a few people today while I’m standing here. 

• My teachers for pushing me to persevere even on the bad days. 

• Amma, Appa, and Netanya.  

• Finally, thank you to my classmates. I am so proud of every single one of you. Thank you for being a part of my high school journey. I hope we’re proud of ourselves just as much as our parents are today. 

Congratulations, it’s time to take our training wheels off!