June 22, 2026
A long time member of our Board of Trustees and mother of two Crossroads graduates, Lisa Wood opened the celebration with words of affirmation and encouragement:
“…. We know you are ready. Crossroads has given you the unique opportunity to work and learn from people who are different from you. In an environment where each person is accepted and celebrated for who they are. To learn to think critically. To challenge yourselves. To explore what interests you. You can go anywhere from here. So as you move forward, a few words of advice. Chart your own path and work hard at whatever you choose to do. Accept your failures with grace. Trust me you will learn more from them than you will from your successes. And be gracious when you succeed.
Remain hopeful and optimistic. And most of all believe in yourselves and your abilities. And know that we – your family, friends, the Crossroads faculty and staff – believe in each and every one of you. You make us hopeful and optimistic. Because we know the world needs more people like you. People who are smart and good.
Our Student Council President, Senior Kamori Turner, offered her reflections and gratitude to the faculty and staff.
“… Not every staff member is in the classrooms with us. [But,] they are all showing up, supporting, and helping guide us …. They have all helped shape us into the individuals we are on this stage today. So thank you, guys, for helping make an impact outside the classroom….. A strong foundation has been laid for us up to this point, and now you can trust that we will carry it forward and use it beautifully. Thank you to you all, nothing you have done for us has gone unnoticed.
Mark and Sarah, Crossroads Co-Heads, spoke briefly to the whole gathering about reflecting on how they came here before sharing individual thoughts on each graduate, written by the faculty and staff.
…. graduates, take a moment to think about the people sitting out there who have given you their time, their hands, their patience, their half-eaten ice cream cones, their bandaids, a good portion of their paychecks, and their love so that you could stand where you are today. See all of them in you.
Think of the times your families and loved ones supported you, and the times they challenged you — to get more sleep, to be gentle, to hurry up, to apologize, to learn responsibility, to become someone who serves others as well as yourself. Think about how you have grown both your heart and your mind because of the people gathered here for you today.
And think, too, of the people at Crossroads who supported you, and who challenged you — to think more deeply, reason more carefully, listen more generously, consider perspectives beyond your own, and strive to become the best version of yourself. Your teachers, advisors, coaches, mentors, and friends helped prepare you not only for college or work, but for citizenship, compassion, and service.
… we depend on one another, communities are stronger when people show up for each other.… The world does not only need accomplished people. It needs people who rebuild, who care, who stay connected to others, and who help create places where people can belong. It needs people who are not just smart, but smart and good.
Today, with gratitude and full hearts, we place a bow on your time at Crossroads. The fabric of this school community has been woven from your presence and your gifts…. Each of you brought a particular color, texture, humor, talent, insight, or kindness that helped make Crossroads what it is. You have shaped this place, and we are better because of you.
The first graduating senior who spoke on Reflections of The Class of 2026 was Jay Oliver, amongst his remarks were comments on perseverance and community.
“…. today isn’t the end of something: it’s proof that we kept going, even when it was easier to stop. Every late night, every stressful test, every moment where we doubted ourselves- all of those moments led to this moment right here.
….
Now let’s be real here, our journey wasn’t normal, we learned how to stay connected even when we were apart. We learned to adapt to the changes that were happening, and we learned that showing up mattered the most, and through all that, we grew. We became young adults who can handle change even when it comes out of nowhere. People who can figure it out.
…. None of us made it here alone. Class of today, this is our moment. Not because everything ahead is certain, but because everything ahead is possible.
Jay introduced classmate Alyssa Kent, who reflected on starting Crossroads in Covid and the journey that stitched their class together.
“ …. I entered Crossroads through screens, muted microphones, frozen cameras on Zoom, and masks that covered half of everyone’s faces. At the time, none of us knew what normal high school memories would even look like. Yet, amidst uncertainty, we built something unforgettable.
And now, here we are.
Not in breakout rooms. Not six feet apart. Here. Together.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about the moments I’ll miss most. …. [all those memories become] the moments that stitched our class together.
….
We entered middle school wearing masks.
Today, as seniors, we’ll leave without them.
And I don’t only mean the physical masks.
Over these years, we’ve slowly uncovered parts of ourselves. We’ve learned who we are outside of expectations, outside of trends, outside of who we thought we had to be. Somewhere between quarantine and graduation, we became the brilliant and determined young adults that we are today.
What matters now is who we become when nobody is taking attendance anymore.
Who we become when there are no grades, no rankings, no hallway reputations.
Who we become when the world gives us the freedom to choose.
So as we leave these four walls today …. I hope we continue showing up for people the way our teachers showed up for us. I hope we remember that the small moments, the car rides, the pancake runs, the themed Zoom days, were never small at all. They are proof that even during uncertain times, we created joy anyway. It’s what we do best.
Class of 2026, we already know how to live through history.
Now, we seize the chance to shape what comes next.
Kai Cameron, the final graduating senior to offer remarks, noted the pain of saying goodbye and gratitude for whom they have become together.
… My classmates and I had been talking about what we would miss, looking back on old memories, and the tears just came uncontrollably. …. None of us were crying tears of sadness or grief, but of gratitude and pride for one another. Because, to quote Winnie the Pooh, “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” And that is exactly what this group is, they are the type of people you look forward to seeing every day, even when it is 8 o’clock in the morning, and the type of people who celebrate your wins just as loudly as their own. When I first arrived at Crossroads my sophomore year, I had no idea what was to come, no idea who I would be, or the friendships I would form.
Similarly now, as I transition into this next phase, I can confidently say I have no clue what the future holds, but it is because of my experience here, with these people, that I have grown to love the unknown. Because if a class of just 13 people can harbor so much potential just within these walls, I can’t wait to see what we can do beyond them. I can’t help but beam with pride for the accomplishments that have yet to come for us all, and I thank the class of 26’ for being the people who make saying goodbye so hard.
Finally, alum Valeria Ortega (‘24 and sister of graduate Luciana), welcomed the graduates to the alum community.
The alumni community of Crossroads College Prep is a diverse one, living and working all over the world. I am honored to welcome you into that community today.