At Kent School, graduation is more than a ceremony—it’s a celebration of courage, growth, and community. In his heartfelt speech to the Class of 2025, alumnus Kirk Wright (’86) reflects on his journey from Kennedyville to the global tech world, and back again, sharing seven life lessons grounded in Kent School’s core values. This speech, given at the 8th Grade Graduation Ceremony, is a powerful reminder of the lifelong impact of a Kent School education.
Kent School 8th Grade Graduation Speech – by Alumni Kirk Wright
Hello everyone — students, parents, teachers, and most importantly, the graduating 8th grade class of Kent School!
Class of 2025, I want to let you in on a secret — something that can help you succeed no matter what you choose to do.
Parents, you may want to cover your ears. I know you’ve been encouraging them to study hard, focus on school, maybe even think about college or a particular career. I’m not here to discourage any of that. But I do want to let these graduates in on something just as important.
But first, who am I and why should you listen to me?
I grew up on the farm right across from Molly’s Sporting Goods in Kennedyville and went to Kent School from Kindergarten through 8th grade. You could say Kent School is part of my family: my sister, three cousins, and now my cousin Jenny’s two boys, Cooper and Carter, all have come here. My mom taught here for 20 years. And yes — Mrs. Wright-Taylor, your Kindergarten teacher? She’s my cousin and her two kids went here also. The names on the buildings and in the halls – those were my teachers. Miss Vansant taught me in third grade. Mrs. Williams was Miss Cooper then and was my 5th grade teacher, and Mr. Williams was my science and gym teacher. Mrs. Merrikan was my 8th grade English teacher. And yes, we had to read Great Expectations back then too.
It’s surreal to stand here today. I’ve worked with some of the world’s largest tech companies and traveled to over 25 countries. But I can honestly say: some of the most important things I ever learned — I learned right here at Kent School.
The secret I want to share is this: if you’ve been paying attention, you already have most of what you need to succeed.
See, Kent School doesn’t just teach reading, art, science, music, and math. These teachers have helped grow your emotional intelligence — how you treat people, how you handle setbacks, how you find courage. The words of the year you’ve had — Joy, Believe, Imagine, Grateful, Connect, Kindness, Courage — are more than decorations. They’re skills. Real-world, grown-up, career-changing skills.
And this year’s word, Courage, might be the most important one of all.
Because courage isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s a quiet voice that says, “I’ll try again tomorrow.” Or, “I’ll introduce myself, even if it’s awkward.” Or, “I’ll admit I was wrong.”
When I was your age, I dreamed of seeing the world. I loved sci-fi, mythology, nature shows. I was decent at baseball and lacrosse, terrible at basketball — unless passing counts. I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up. But even when I left the Eastern Shore, I carried the lessons of Kent School with me — and they’ve applied everywhere I’ve been, from Texas to Tokyo, and yes, even back to Kennedyville, working from a porch with Wi-Fi and a view of the woods.
So today, I want to leave you with a few lessons I’ve learned — sometimes the hard way — that I hope you’ll carry with you.
1. Assume Good Intent
Most people are just trying to build a good life. If you assume the best in others, you build bridges — not walls.
After business school, my wife and I backpacked through Europe. We were having so much fun that we decided to take a ferry from Spain to Morocco in Africa. On a train to Fez, Morocco, we met a young man who’d never met Americans before. He offered to show us his city. We took a chance — and it turned into an unforgettable experience. His family welcomed us into their home for dinner — fifteen relatives, including a 105-year-old grandmother — all curious about our lives. Other than with our guide, we didn’t speak the same language, but we shared a meal, and we connected.
People everywhere — whether they’re in Spain, Morocco, or Kent County — want to be seen and respected. Assume good intent, and you’ll be surprised how many doors (and an occasional adventure) open.
2. Focus on What You Can Control
I’ve been guilty of overthinking and being anxiety-prone. At times it can be helpful… but also exhausting — especially for the people around me.
In high school at The Lawrenceville School, I was afraid to let people get to know the real me. I was geeky, overly detailed in my stories, and came from a dairy farm in Maryland. My dormmates were from New York, California, Texas, Hong Kong, even Saudi Arabia. Why would they care about a farm kid?
Turns out, some of them loved hearing about milking cows, 4-H fairs, and lacrosse. My friend from Saudi Arabia even had me buy him a lacrosse stick from Mr. Pritzlaf’s Town Sporting Goods in Chestertown because he was sure it was more legit than anything in New Jersey.
I’ve learned that embracing where you’re from — and laughing at yourself — builds trust. And yes, a little anxiety can be a superpower. Recently I heard a tech CEO say that he likes hiring anxious people — they tend to overprepare and overdeliver.
Control what you can. Let go of the rest. And know that being yourself is a strength.
3. Be the Kind of Friend Who Encourages
In our house, we say, “Don’t yuck someone’s yum.” If your friend loves anime, algebra, or cheese-covered broccoli, cheer them on! You don’t have to love it — but you can love that they do. When I was your age, I didn’t like country music — mostly because I’d never really heard it. Then Mr. Williams sang, “Mommas don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys” during gym class softball. We laughed. But before long, every boy in that class knew the words.
Thankfully, Mr. Williams didn’t let us yuck his yum — and we had fun because of it.
Encourage your friends. Ask questions. Listen. That’s active listening — and you already practice it every day in class with your teachers.
4. You Can’t Do It Alone
I used to think success meant doing everything myself. But teams win. Collaboration wins.
At Dell, I helped create a new service for small businesses. I had all the data, the plans — but one executive wouldn’t approve the launch. I complained to my boss, who asked, “Have you talked to him?”
I hadn’t. I had emailed, but I hadn’t actually talked to him.
When I did, he shared his concerns. We adjusted the plan — and launched a service that went on to earn Dell $15 million in its first year.
People want to help. You just have to let them. (and just ask.)
5. Leap — and Trust That the Net Will Appear
This one’s for the dreamers — and the worriers.
You’re going to fail. That’s not a threat — that’s a promise. But failing is how you grow. The writer Samuel Beckett said: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”
What’s the worst that could happen? You’re back where you started. And nobody’s watching as closely as you think.
You never know where your career will take you. I’ve spent 30 years in high tech and the internet — and it didn’t exist when I was in your seat. But because I stayed open to new ideas, liked learning, and was willing to go places I’d never been, I built a career that’s evolved with every major shift in technology. AI is the latest tech to take off; kind of like the internet was when I was getting out of business school. AI is here to support humans — not replace them. Yes, some jobs will change dramatically, but critical thinking, intuition, and the ability to understand subtle differences remain deeply human strengths that will add value to whatever AI tools you’ll be using.
In college, I studied civil engineering at Vanderbilt. In the first few years after school, I had engineering jobs working for construction services companies that took me from Rockville, Maryland to Chicago to Memphis, Tennessee and Little Rock, Arkansas. I then went to graduate school at the University of Washington in Seattle for a masters degree in business and certificate degree in environmental management.
When I graduated, I had two job offers: one from a freight train company that handled petrochemicals, and one from Intel for their management program. I’d only just gotten my first email address the year before during grad school, and the Internet was just starting to be a thing. Intel made the chips inside the computers people were beginning to buy. I figured computers and the internet might take off — and if not, I could always call the other company back.
At Intel, I got to ride the early wave of the Internet boom. One day, while prepping a presentation for my boss to give at a Tokyo conference, he said, “You know this material better than I do. Want to give the speech?”
I was terrified. I’d never given a speech before. But I also realized — when else would I get a free trip to Tokyo?
“Leap, and the net will appear.”
It turned out to be the coolest four-day trip to Tokyo — at least for a kid who grew up on a farm in Kennedyville.
Saying yes — even when you’re scared — is how life expands. Like saying yes to giving this speech today. Another first for me.
6. Progress, Not Perfection
You don’t need to have it all figured out. Just keep going. Life rewards people who are willing to try, reflect, improve, and try again.
You don’t need to be perfect. Just persistent.
7. Lastly – Be Kind
Kindness is underrated. It reduces stress. Builds friendships. Opens hearts. It’s not just the right thing — it’s the smart thing.
Want to make friends? Here’s a life hack: ask people questions about themselves. Everyone likes to feel heard.
Smile more. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Say thank you. It goes further than you think.
Closing:
So, Class of 2025 — you already have so much of what you need.
Courage isn’t something you suddenly develop later. You’ve been practicing it — every time you tried something new, stood up for a friend, or showed kindness when it wasn’t easy.
The world needs more thoughtful, curious, and caring people. People like you.
Congratulations, graduates. You’ve got this.
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