THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2026 Page 15 I felt lost. Tonight, I want to tell you a little bit about myself. And I’m sure my good friend Nat is going to love this story, because it involves food. Ever since I was young, I’ve always been willing to try new foods. I was the kid whose eyes waEthan Men Revere High School Co-Salutatorian Class of 2026 Graduation Address H ello everyone. I hope you’re all doing well. First, I want to thank our faculty, families, and especially our teachers for taking such an interest in our success—not only as students, but as growing people. Thank you to my family for giving me everything a son could ask for. A special thank you to Josh for being not only a great teacher and mentor, but also someone I could always turn to. And thank you to Isaac Harrington, my first mentor and a close friend who has always provided guidance whenever tered after eating a block of wasabi. The kid who groaned in disgust after swallowing a clove of garlic. The kid whose face turned bright red after trying foods that were completely unfamiliar to me. While I was always willing to put something new in my mouth, I can’t honestly say I was fearless. Before every bite, thousands of thoughts would run through my mind. What if I don’t like this? What if it’s disgusting? What if I’m allergic to it? But no matter how diffi cult it was to swallow, I always learned something new about myself by the time it was over. Whether I loved the food or whether it gave me hives, I nevcountless other tragedies unfolding around the world. At the same time, the mental health crisis continues to grow. And for many of us, these last Rose Cao Revere High School Co-Salutatorian Class of 2026 Graduation Address G reetings, Class of 2026. Hello friends, family, faculty, and most importantly, my fellow graduates. Congratulations. We made it. For the past month, I’ve been scrolling through TikTok, hoping to gather inspiration for this speech. I’ve watched graduation speeches from celebrities, Revere High School alumni, and countless others who offered optimistic messages about the future. I searched for an inspirational message to share with all of you today. But I struggled. My feed was fi lled with videos of war, families separated by immigration enforcement, and four years have not been easy. My freshman year was the fi rst time in my life that I couldn’t envision a future for myself beyond high school. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to go to college. It was because I had reached a point where I simply couldn’t see beyond the challenges in front of me. People often say that when you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up. But when you’re there, “up” can feel impossible. Statistics tell us that one in fi ve students in the United States seriously considers suicide, and nearly half of all adolescents will experience a mental health disorder at some point during their youth. The frightening reality is that you never know who is part of those statistics. It could be the person sitting to your left. It could be the person sitting to your right. All of us carry struggles that er regretted trying it. Now, when someone asks me to eat a block of wasabi, I can confi dently say: “Been there, done that.” The lessons I’ve learned from trying diff erent foods aren’t all that diff erent from the lessons I’ve learned from my amazing teachers. And I’m not talking about learning integration by parts through food examples or discovering how to address an audience through classroom presentations. I’m talking about the lessons that really matter. The lessons about kindness. The lessons about being open-minded toward diff erent cultures. The lessons about taking leaps of faith. Today, we are recognized for our achievements and perseverance over the last four years. Along the way, we’ve all learned something new in our classes. We’ve all explored new places. We’ve all made new friends. And we’ve all stepped outside our comfort zones. While this marks the end of others cannot always see. The stigma surrounding mental health often creates a cage that forces people to repress their emotions and suff er in silence, afraid of being labeled as weak, sensitive, or overly emotional. At the beginning of this year, I sought professional mental health support. Everyone says that taking the fi rst step is the hardest part. And they’re right. But after you take that first step, seek comfort in your community. It may be the family waiting for you at home after a difficult day. It may be the friends who have stood beside you through every challenge. These people can help lift you up. You do not need to face your struggles alone. After leaving here tonight, remember to reach out when you encounter life’s inevitable hardships. Sometimes, it only takes one hand reaching out to help guide someone toward the light. One of my favorite characters, Tony Stark, once said: our high school careers, it also marks a beginning. The beginning of our growth as independent individuals. But I can assure you of one thing: The learning doesn’t stop here. The growing doesn’t stop here. We will continue to learn and grow for the rest of our lives. And that journey begins now. Many of us will be moving away from family. Many will be living on our own for the fi rst time. Some will attend college. Others will enter the workforce. And with these new experiences will come new feelings— doubt, stress, anxiety, and uncertainty. At some point, you’ll ask yourself: “Will I know when I’m ready?” “How will I know when I’m ready?” ready?” “When will I know when I’m I want to tell you something important: You won’t. It’s a leap of faith. “It’s an imperfect world, but it’s the only one we’ve got.” So as you leave here today, I ask you to take care of our imperfect world. The world does not heal overnight. It is built through countless acts of kindness, empathy, and respect. Find your community. Reach out for help when you need it. Find your people. And let them fi nd you. But most importantly, take care of yourself. Your health comes fi rst. Never settle for less than you deserve, and never remain in an environment that does not value you. There is a place for everyone. I could not be more grateful for the people who helped me through my own journey. Thank you to my parents for always reminding me to take care of myself, no matter how ambitious I became. To my older brother, Joseph, thank you for being my first best friend. To my younger brothers, John and Vincent, thank you for pushing me to become a better stuThat’s all it is. A leap of faith. You may have heard those words before, but let me tell you what they really mean. Be a risk-taker. Because it is the hard things in life that force you to grow. It is hard to learn something new. It is hard to talk to someone you don’t know. And it is defi nitely hard to try, try, and try again. It’s even harder when you fail, fail, and fail again. The truth is that it may never get easier. The uncertainty may never completely disappear. But if you spend your life waiting for the perfect day, you’ll be waiting forever. So take that leap of faith. In that moment, it may feel like your body is moving on its own. Jump at opportunities to help people. Jump at the chance to meet someone new. And always jump at the chance to try a new food. Thank you, everyone, and have a great day. dent and a better person. Thank you to Josh for being not just a teacher, but a mentor and trusted adult for so many students. Thank you to Ms. Goldman for believing in me when I struggled to believe in myself. Thank you to Mrs. Tenzi for teaching us how to have productive and meaningful discussions. Thank you to Ms. Samansky for teaching me to take ownership of my education. Thank you to Ms. Cao for reviewing my countless drafts and always providing thoughtful feedback. Thank you to Mr. Castello for helping me bring this speech to life. And thank you to everyone who helped create spaces where students could celebrate their identities and cultures. Finally, thank you to my friends and everyone in this audience who, often without realizing it, became part of the reason I chose to seek help. Because of you, we will continue making memories, exploring Boston, and sharing our lives together for many years to come. Congratulations, Class of 2026.
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