Page 12 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, JunE 12, 2026 Danica Pham, President Class of 2026 The Class that Learned to Begin Again G ood evening, faculty, staff, families, friends, and most importantly, the Everett High School Class of 2026. We did it! My name is Danica Pham, and I have had the honor of serving as your class president and speaking with you all tonight. Before I begin, I want to thank my family who made it all happen. To my dad, thank you for being my personal chauffeur, working countless hours, and still showing up for every single event. To my mom, my best friend, thank you for believing in me and for supporting every crazy idea I had, even when I doubted myself. And to my four insane siblings for keeping our house loud and full of energy. To my older sister, Kimaura, thank you for setting an amazing example for me, and to my three younger brothers, Maddox, Jaxton, and Lenox, thank you for always keeping life chaotic, entertaining, and pretending to be interested in the random stories I came home with every day. And finally, thank you to both of my grandparents who immigrated here from Cambodia and Vietnam. Your sacrifices, strength, and love are a huge part of why I’m standing here today. Without any of you, I would not be who I am. And on behalf of the senior class. I want to thank everyone who helped make this moment possible for all of us. To our teachers, custodians, lunch staff, coaches, families, and friends, thank you for supporting us, encouraging us, and standing by us every step of the way. So when I started thinking about what I wanted to say tonight, I remembered something from back when I was at Lafayette School. We had an assignment that asked, “What would you do if you became president?” At the time, it just felt like another worksheet, nothing serious, just an eightyear-old girl with big dreams. On that paper, I wrote down three things. First, I wanted to become rich. Second, homework should be banned. And third, to help people in need. Looking back now, I think little Danica would be pretty surprised to see me standing here as class president speaking in front of all of you. And honestly, in some ways, I think I did accomplish those goals. When I was younger, I thought becoming rich meant money. But now I understand that the real kind of wealth comes from memories, experiences, friendships, and the people you surround yourself with. And in this class, I truly do feel rich in all of those things. And as for the “no homework” idea… Well, I quickly realized that was never going to happen. Somehow, no matter what, there was always another assignment waiting for us. Especially during senior year, when senioritis became very real. But I guess that lesson taught us something too - success comes from continuing to work hard, even when we really don’t want to. Now, my third point of helping people in need is something I carry with me every single day. One of my biggest goals as class president was making sure everyone felt included and connected, and that our class felt more like a family than just students sharing the same graduation year. Looking out into this crowd tonight, I truly believe we accomplished that together. We grew up during one of the strangest times imaginable. In middle school, we were separated from each other and forced to connect through screens instead of classrooms. So to all of our teachers, thank you for surviving our screen time and phone addictions. Despite everything, we became the first class to finally experience high school normally again. No masks, no distancing, just us. Honestly, we made the most of it. Even if “normal” for us meant having lockers on the fourth and fifth floors, while the underclassmen got the easier ones downstairs. It felt unfair at first, but looking back, I guess we made sure we got our daily workout in. And if you had asked me back in the winter when graduation was, I probably would’ve said we already graduated. But seriously, thank you to all those snow days and blizzards; we somehow got so lucky that we didn’t need to make those days up! That’s the funny thing about high school: the smallest moments often become the most memorable. Checking the lunch specials, last-minute Canvas submissions, spirit weeks, and football games once all felt permanent. But before we knew it, they became our last. Our last first day, last spirit week, and the last time walking these halls together. For me, one of the best parts of senior year was capturing all those memories. From our senior sunrise to our spirit weeks to the countless TikToks and videos we filmed together, I wanted us to have something we could look back on years from now. Even if that meant I would have extra editing to do, every video was worth it because it captured the energy, laughter, and spirit of this class. Shoutout to marketing, who allowed me to continue my passion. I hope all of us will always have something that takes us back to these moments. Okay, I promise I won’t keep you guys here forever, so I’ll leave you with this. As I stand here today, I want to remind you that every dream you have is worth chasing. Every passion, every wild idea that has been living in your heart, that is where your next chapter begins. Over the years, I’ve learned that our purpose in life is often shaped by the people around us. There were moments, especially during senior year, when I felt defeated. Facing rejection from dream schools made me Danica Pham President Class of 2026 question myself and where I went wrong in the process. But during those moments, I found something greater: the people who stood beside me. The friends who became family. And that’s what community really is. It’s the people who help shape you through laughter, struggles, memories, and even the hardest moments of your life. Even though I’m only 17, I’ve experienced grief and loss. This Friday marks 12 years since I lost my uncle Chenda while finishing kindergarten. Even at that age, I remember realizing I would never get to go back to Bonkers or Plaster Fun Time with him again. But moments like that remind us that the people we love never truly leave us. We carry them with us through memory, love, and the way they shaped who we are. And now, standing here tonight, I realize that my community at Everett High School will be one of my hardest goodbyes. While I may not have known every single graduate personally, each of you still became part of something that changed me. You trusted me to lead, represent, and be your voice, and that is something I will carry with me forever. So, Class of 2026, thank you. Thank you for the memories, the laughter, the chaos, and the moments that made these four years unforgettable. I know every single one of you is capable of achieving something incredible. So as we walk across this stage tonight, hold onto your dreams, hold onto your people, and never forget the moments that made you who you are today. I know you’ve all heard the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words.” So I thought I’d take this opportunity to get one last picture together before we all go our separate ways. Class of 2026, smile and say cheese! NOW LET’S CELEBRATE CONGRATULATIONS!!
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