The Watershed School Class of 2026 elected Evan, Ayden, and Sasha as this year’s senior speakers for graduation, held at the JCC on May 22, 2026. Evan and Ayden have been part of the Watershed community throughout both middle and upper school, while Sasha has been at Watershed for her entire upper school journey. Having spent so many formative years at Watershed, there are few students better suited to reflect on the school’s lasting impact and what makes it such a special place—something that truly has to be experienced to be fully understood. Read their joint speeches below.
Evan: A Letter to the Past
Hi, I’m Evan, and this is my 7th year at Watershed.
Watershed is one of those places that you can’t really explain to someone because they have to experience it to truly understand it. When I look back on my time here, I think about waking up long before the sun to summit peaks on backpacking trips. I think about running down the sand dunes in Mexico, playing soccer with students from Ecuador and Peru, or sitting in the dark on May Term, talking about everything under the sun, trying to whisper so we don’t wake the teachers.
However the adventures are only half of what makes Watershed so special. It’s not just where we went or what countries we visited that was memorable, but the people we shared those experiences with.
It’s listening to covers during studio time, getting donuts after tests and homemade cupcakes on your birthday. It’s the endless wisdom helping us to see the world through different lenses, and the incredible love and support that helps us to succeed. But the best part of it all was getting to grow up with all of you, and getting to watch each of you turn into the incredible humans you are.
Especially Gabi, Ayden, Leo, and Emily. We have been together for the past seven years and have gotten to see many versions of each other. And for that I am forever grateful.
The love I have for everyone in this room is hard to put into words because the friendships you make here are unlike anything else. Every moment of laughter, love, sadness, self-doubt, and reflection was alongside all of you, helping one another to grow up and to bethe people we strive to become.
Watershed gave us the room to make mistakes, explore who we are, think critically about the world, support each other, and grow into the group of multi-faceted, strong minded, global citizens sitting in front of me today, who will undoubtedly change the world.
As this next chapter of our lives is starting, I think that the community I got to experience at Watershed is what will stay with me the most. Not just what we learned here, but who we were able to become because of each other.
Ayden: A Letter to the Future
Hi, I’m Ayden.
It has been seven wonderful years here at Watershed, and one memory that stands out most is being a young sixth grader, looking up at the seniors in the graduating class of 2019. Getting to see myself grow from that younger student — looking up to my older peers — to now being the older student, serving as a role model for those coming after me, has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.
To those just starting out their journey at Watershed: I hope you come to see how special and unique this place truly is. The relationships and memories you build here will last a lifetime.
Juniors, congratulations on all your hard work. Getting to know you has been a privilege, and we cannot wait to see you on this stage next year.
To everyone else — thank you for making this experience what it was. The relationships we have cultivated and the community we have built will stay with each and every one of us. Continue to be the students and people we have all come to know and love.
When you are standing here someday, remember the examples set by those who came before you, and continue to inspire the generations of graduates yet to come.
And most importantly — Remember your traditions - 3 things. (“3 things!”) : Clapping in, Appreciations, and forming a circle no matter how inconvenient. Remember what makes you a community.
Thank you.
Sasha: A Letter to the Class of 2026
Hi, I’m Sasha, and this is my 4th year at Watershed.
Class of 2026, looking out at all of you right now, there’s not a person in this class that I wouldn’t call my friend. There’s not a person in this class that hasn’t lit up my day, listened to me with interest, or gotten me through a difficult moment. The bond we have is rare and intangible, and I doubt I will experience anything like it again.
We’ve laughed together through long days trekking through the Rockies, making silly mistakes in foreign countries, and jet-lagged layovers in international airports. We’ve shared stories with openness and vulnerability, and built unforgettable lifelong bonds.
Through our conversations, I’ve learned so much about your wide variety of interests and talents. From studying your own plasma, to training for the olympics, to hanging your art in museums, this class never fails to keep my jaw on the floor. Seeing how much we’ve accomplished in high school, I can’t even begin to imagine the amazing things we will do beyond.
Watershed has not just been our high school, but the place where we can open our hearts to each other, knowing that we will be seen by our peers and teachers. I speak for all of us when I say thank you so much to the teachers who got us here. We will never forget the lessons you taught us.
I can’t imagine a group more prepared to step into their beautiful futures than those of you in front of me. Our time together at Watershed has been invaluable. I cherish you all, and cannot wait to see how you spend this one wild and precious life.
