In 2023, I covered Stanford’s Commencement ceremony for The Daily. So that means I should already have an idea of what a graduation season looks and feels like, right? The Class of 2024, the very batch of undergraduates that I was originally a part of (thanks, sweet academic suspension o’ mine for changing that) has since come and gone. Therefore, the biggest of my graduation season losses should already be behind me, right?

Wrong. Wrong again. I used to think that those things would prepare me for the Class of 2026’s graduation. I used to think that I could let this graduation feel like any other that came before or will come after. Such would be the easy ways out, however. Given all of the time and effort I have put in to reflect on the pause in my Stanford education, I can certainly do better than that. I can do better to understand why this graduation hits deeper than even my non-existent 2024 graduation did.

For me, this is about more than the fact that yet another Dinner on the Quad, time capsule burial or commencement ceremony will occur. Graduation season events come and go with every graduating class. In truth, it is about the people for me. The people that make up the Class of 2026 include some of the most caring, bold, inspiring and creative people that I have ever met in my life.

I can think of no better person to start off with then Jules. Jules, I don’t think I thank you enough for being the best roommate that I could have ever had. The quarters we shared in Paloma 200 were, without a doubt, my most tumultuous while on campus — made evident by my eventual break from Stanford. It was always a pleasure hearing about your experiences as a psychology major, resident of Washington D.C., member of the Black House student staff and guitarist for Six of Spades (much love to when I could listen in on your in-room jam sessions). I have not seen you in over two years now, yet rooming with you has stuck with me. Thank you for being there in the ways that you were. 

Ilana and Kristine. Like Jules, I met you in the dorm. The two of you never failed to liven up my experiences at on-calls and the dining hall. While the specifics of our many quick chats have since faded, I can look back on all the times that our paths crossed with absolute joy. Whenever I came across either of you, and especially when I saw you both, it was as if my very being knew that it was going to be a fun time. Whether we spoke about your respective majors, mechanical engineering and symbolic systems, or your creative pursuits on campus, you never failed to add new things to my Stanford experience.

Ananya. I remember the evening when you and two other Daily staffers played Cards Against Humanity and ate at The Axe & Palm with me as an academic suspension send-off like it was yesterday (oh, how the two-plus years just fly by). You truly are one of the kindest people that, in The Daily and beyond, I have ever met. Back when I was on campus, seeing you at print production nights, humor meetings or otherwise at the computer in the corner of the Daily House felt like such a constant. There were a lot of things that we talked about at the Daily House — Humor pitches, how your work in Video was going, Texas, Gaieties and more. Perhaps, in some universe out there, I served on masthead at the same time you were an executive editor. Alas, I am still very happy to have met you. It feels like yesterday that we joined The Daily early into the 2022-23 academic year, yet I still remember your all-star housing coverage very well. If the relative bits of interaction between us are of any indication for all that you did over Admit Weekend, then I am confident that the freshman classes that have come after you were given an incredible introduction to Stanford. Thank you for all the ways in which you have inspired me as a writer and member of the Stanford community that aspires to be more intentional in all that I do. 

Theo. I am pretty sure that the first time we met was when, early into the 2022-23 academic year, students interested in writing for News met with its editors (thank you for the wisdom you imparted, Kaushikee and Kate). Since then, we were able to have a wide array of conversations about our respective Daily writing, Stanford experiences and broader lives. I was always able to speak so openly with you. I remember a conversation we had on the way to a Nomad party — about our respective paths in The Daily and all that changed for us in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years. I could not be happier with how, by complete coincidence, we could eventually talk in-person again during my most recent visit to campus. From your George Polk Award to your book and everything else that you have been up to, I could never be prouder of you than I already am. Your writing and our conversations have pushed me to think more deeply about both Stanford as an institution and myself with the kind of writer I can be. Consider every piece with my name on it as yet another testament to how your bold writing and your kind heart have changed me for the better.

Greta. It feels you only just recently covered Judge Kyle Duncan’s campus visit. You eventually went on to serve in various editorial positions — including editor-in-chief for two volumes. I appreciate all of the times that you bared with me on messages I sent about articles. Your diligent coverage on Duncan and pro-Palestine protests, as well as your Daily leadership, opened my eyes to what a love for not just the paper but of the craft of student journalism itself can look like. When I do return as a student, I hope to be even a smidge of the impactful leader you were. I don’t think I could be prouder of you than I already am.  

Sam. You were always so intentional with including me in the humor section despite my absence from campus. You even floated the idea of a remote option for participation in weekly meetings. All of your edits and suggestions for my pieces never failed to improve them in ways I did not see. In all seriousness, you were one of the people at Stanford who put the most effort into off-campus inclusion for me. There is no way for words to do that justice (ironic, given this very piece). I can still look back on all that you did for me and think about how that is what showing up for someone, even in seemingly small ways, looks like. 

Erin and Kristine. I don’t think I would have ended up writing 19 pieces for the grind if it weren’t for your editorial direction. The two of you were instrumental in introducing me to a more personal, open-ended style of writing. I would end up writing about topics like love, masculinity, justice and failure for the grind. It has felt like a new world that has improved not just my writing but also my outlook on life — particularly all that I ought to appreciate and learn from. I understand that I never interacted much with the two of you beyond my time in this section. Nevertheless, I want to thank you for how you helped me in that regard. 

Amina and Judy. I was always inspired by your frequent, thorough and diligent coverage of graduate student issues. From Graduate Student Council meetings to Stanford Graduate Workers Union advocacy, your work set an incredibly high standard for me and news at-large. Amina, I am grateful for the desk meetings I was able to attend alongside you. This volume, you were an incredible executive editor. And Judy, it was a pleasure getting to cover the presidential search process with you. You both have accomplished so much since I was last a Stanford student, and I could not be prouder. 

David and Amanda. The two of you are champions for justice and change like very few I have ever met. I have not been on campus all too often to witness your respective efforts in-person. Nevertheless, David, I have so much love for all that you have done in your first-generation, low-income and student government advocacy. Amanda, from Palestine to sustainability and beyond, your work has been awe-inspiring. The fire which you two have consistently brought is something that I have sought to emulate in my writing. When I do return as a student, I hope to follow the example you have set on what causing good trouble on campus looks like. 

It goes without saying that the Class of 2026 is full of people that have not only changed me for the better but also been some of the best that my time with Stanford has had to offer. Perhaps there is some alternate universe out there in which I graduate alongside them. But as things stand now, I could not be happier. In this life, these seniors have not just been classmates, dormmates, Daily colleagues and fellow students of conscience. Time and time again, they have been some of my greatest Stanford inspirations.

Looking back on my time at Stanford, things have been considerably rocky. I do not know when I will return. What I do know is that the Class of 2026 that I got to know helped to make the future brighter than it otherwise would be.