Not Perfection, But Resilience
This year’s Newton North High School graduation ceremony was an especially meaningful one for us at CAPS.
While our Deaf & Hard of Hearing Program (DHHP) has its own graduation celebration to honor our DHHP seniors, they also join the rest of their peers to celebrate together at their traditional graduation ceremony. This year, in front of more than 540 graduating students, their families, teachers, and the Newton North community, Lucy Howard-Karp, a senior in the CAPS Deaf & Hard of Hearing Program, was selected to represent the Class of 2026 as its student speaker.
Wise beyond her years, Lucy confidently took the stage to share reflections of the last four years and sage advice for the future. CAPS’ ASL Interpreter, Krystal Chung, interpreted the American Sign Language for the audience.
Lucy reflected on the everyday choices, challenges, and setbacks that shaped her and her classmates throughout their four years together. And she wrapped it up by sharing an impactful reminder that life isn’t about being perfect, but being resilient as they continue growing into adulthood.
“That’s really what the class of 2026 is all about. Not perfection. Not grades. Not popularity. But resilience. So before we say our goodbyes, or whatever we’re supposed to say, remember we are still growing into the people we are meant to be.”
It’s no surprise that Lucy left the Class of 2026 with an uplifting and encouraging message to consider. Throughout her time at CAPS, she has consistently looked for ways to make a difference in the lives of those around her while advocating for herself and the Deaf & Hard of Hearing community.
Alongside her growing involvement in advocacy and community service, including her work with Boston-based organization DEAFinitely, Inc., mentoring younger students of color as a Dover Legacy Scholar, and teaching American Sign Language to Newton North students and staff, Lucy has taken on countless opportunities to lead and connect with others.
Her commitment to service and community impact was also recognized through several scholarships, including the Dr. Edward J. Mulligan Scholarship Award and the David A. Ticchi Scholarship, both of which honor students who demonstrate a strong commitment to others and their communities.
Congratulations on a job well done, Lucy! Thank you for representing the Class of 2026 as the impactful leader that you are.
Watch or read Lucy’s full speech below!
Class of 2026 Student Speech: Written and Delivered by Lucy Howard-Karp
Dear Class of 2026, congratulations we did it!
After four years of stress, anxiety, tests, assignments, and suffering through finals, you made it. Today, sitting in these seats, we mark the end of our high school journey.
I’m incredibly proud of you all. I know you all put your blood, sweat, and tears into this, and now we get to sit down and hear over 540 names. That alone deserves an applause.
Now you may be wondering who I am. My name is Lucy-Howard- Karp. I like to say my bonus last name is Kane because it’s my biological mom’s last name. Hi Mom! I’m not someone who is very well known at this school. I’m not valedictorian or class president. Heck, I don’t even think I’m top 50% of the class. Some of you are graduating with honors. Well, I am just honoured to graduate.
But over the last four years, I spent a lot of my time keeping my nose in everyone’s business. Which may be annoying, but because of that, I was fortunate enough to be one of the people that got to witness us becoming the people we are now. Amanda Gorman once said, “Change is made of choices and choices are made of character.” The choices you make every day, whether good or questionable, helped build your character, and most of those choices happened within this school’s hallways.
I’ve walked these hallways for four years and have seen people making choices every day, like chatting with their friends, going into class on time or very late, blocking the middle of the hallways, submitting essays right outside of their classrooms, and did I say blocking the middle of the hallways? Honestly, it’s a very serious safety concern, and we need to resolve this as soon as possible. I’m kidding. I think.
So let’s be real, this isn’t about the hallways and my anger for people who decide to stop in the middle of it. It’s about watching the small choices build into the character that you are today. It’s something we don’t realize until we look back to see how far we’ve come. We came into high school as freshmen thinking this is gonna be easy and fun. So let me be the first to tell you it’s not. Honestly, I was holding on to that delusion for a really long time. But I later learned that high school was not only meant to be fun, but it was a place for us to grow, even when we didn’t feel like we were ready to. Trust me, I would know. Doing something when you don’t believe in yourself is hard. Trying to do everything and nothing, to balance school and life when the thought “I can’t do this” keeps replaying in your head. And for some of you, including me, that feeling didn’t go away. Then trying to handle school, sports, jobs, and a social life doesn’t always make life more simple. Like, “Sorry teache, I can’t remember who Napoleon Bonaparte is”…For the record, he was a French Emperor from 1804-1814…I think.
Anyway, life often leaves you stumped. Like you can’t keep going without feeling so overwhelmed. And that’s very valid. That’s a part of life. But you can’t stay in that mindset forever. Facing obstacles in life that aren’t fair will happen no matter who you are. But they are made to be broken down one part at a time. It doesn’t matter how long it takes you, as long as you take it one step at a time, one breath at a time, and most importantly, one day at a time.
Growing up isn’t meant to be linear, and yet we still made it here at the same place, waiting to see our peers, students, families, and friends step into a new chapter of our lives. Many of us have our futures planned out. We’re excited, mortified, tired, or everything all at once. And that’s alright. The number one goal was to come out on the other side in one piece, and that’s what we did. We kept moving forward with everything we got. Maybe it was for our family or friends, or if you’re anything like me, in spite of the people who doubted me. And that’s really what the class of 2026 is all about. Not perfection. Not grades, not popularity, but resilience.
So before we say our goodbyes or whatever we’re supposed to say, remember we are still growing into the people we are meant to be. Also, if you can’t tell, I’ve always admired Amanda Gorman. And I want to leave you with this one line. “There’s always light if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
Class of 2026, once again, we did it. We got four years down and a lifetime to go.