There are few words more important than the final parting words of the class presidents at the final Commencement Ceremony. This year, Blake Miller ’25 and Laksmi Guthikonda ’25 delivered a concise and smart speech that ended the year and their time as co-president perfectly. After leading convo three times a week all year, Guthikonda and Miller were well-prepared to deliver these important parting words and they each did not disappoint. 

The speech began with a few words from Guthikonda. She gave a warm welcome to the class of 2025 and their friends and families who took the time to attend the ceremony. She then poignantly highlighted that when this year’s seniors began their journey at Berkeley, 2025, the fateful year of their graduation, felt so long away. However, they were now graduating as people ready to make a positive impact on the world. And, as Guthikonda said before turning over the microphone, “Classmates and friends, no matter where life takes us, remember, once a Buc, always a Buc!”

Miller’s half of the speech then continued and expanded on earlier sentiments. He pointed out something that is easy to forget for young people at the end of their high school career—that while they were there to celebrate the end of their years in grade school, what was more important was celebrating all that is to come for the graduates as they commence from high school and go on to the rest of their lives. Miller then expressed well-deserved appreciation to the graduates’ teachers, families, administration and friends who made their time at Berkeley special and purposeful. 

“We are all about to go on to do extraordinary things; however, as Lakshmi pointed out, we will always be Buccaneers,”  Miller said.

Miller and Guthikonda ended the speech in unison saying,“Congratulations, Class of 2025. We made it!”

To read the full interview, click here.

To read the full speech, click here.