Makayla Doyle began her journey at Berkeley seven years ago. Since then, she has become involved in many extracurriculars including Berkeley Academy, vice president of Model United Nations, president of Mock Trial Club and a Student Library Proctor. In athletics, she played soccer and participated in crew for Berkeley. Most importantly, Doyle served as the Student Forum president.

Doyle’s speech goes into detail about the various impacts students have on the school with the things they have done, such as art and athletics. She also thanked everyone around her and her peers who have made it possible for the seniors to move forward in life successfully. 

Doyle said,“Being involved in a wide variety of activities encouraged me to specifically talk about all the unique ways my class has impacted our school. The main theme of my speech is unity, and I touch on how everyones special and individual personalities bring us together as one class.” 

Doyle also talks about the gratitude she and her peers have for those who helped them get to where they are. 

As for her experience at Berkeley, Doyle is thankful for the opportunity to be in the community and grateful for the teachers who positively pushed her. Doyle has also made many wonderful friends. 

In terms of challenges she has faced, Doyle found difficulty in juggling various extracurriculars with school work; however, she learned how to manage her important commitments effectively. All of the stress and hard work was well worth it, and everything came together when Doyle became student body president. 

Doyle said this role helped her become a better speaker, as she was required to lead convocation every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. These useful skills also aided her in writing and delivering this year’s welcome speech.

All in all, Doyle involved herself in many communities while at Berkeley. With the connections she made and the roles she took on, she realized the different passions of her peers. Although she recognizes the difference between her peers, Doyle was able to connect the talents and achievements of her fellow graduates and tie them together in her speech. 

Read the full interview here:

Q: How long have you been at Berkeley, and what are some of the things you were involved in as a student?

A: I’ve been at Berkeley for seven years. Throughout high school, I was [Student Forum] president, vice president of Model UN, president of Mock Trial Club, a part of Berkeley Academy and an SLP! Sports wise, I was on the crew team and JV soccer.

Q: How would you explain your experiences here at Berkeley?

A: I loved getting to grow up in the Berkeley community. The teachers here really care about you and truly have pushed me to challenge myself. I’ve also made some great friends at this school.

 Q: How did your experience at Berkeley influence your speech? Is there any theme or pattern your speech follows that better shows your experience?

A: Being involved in a wide variety of activities encouraged me to specifically talk about all the unique ways my class has impacted our school. The main theme of my speech is unity, and I touch on how everyones special and individual personalities bring us together as one class. Another big theme is gratitude. I focused on recognizing the important people who made it possible for my classmates and I to grow as people.

Q: What was your biggest challenge at Berkeley and how did you overcome it?

A: From juggling school work, clubs and after school sports, my biggest challenge was definitely time management. Over the course of high school (and definitely through trial and error), I learned what study habits work best for me and now understand how to prioritize my commitments.

Q: What is something you loved doing as a student and how would you describe its impact on you and your welcome speech?

 A: Something I loved being a part of was the Student Forum. The welcome speech is the responsibility of the president, which is why I get to speak at commencement. Leading convo has definitely made me a stronger speaker and got me excited to write my speech!

Read the full speech here:

Commencement Address – Jason Barsema ’03