Student Forum presidents often bring unique perspectives on their experiences at Berkeley, making them well-suited to share these reflections in the Welcome Speech at the final commencement ceremony. This year, Student Forum President Lyla Jackson ’26 delivered an inspiring speech that succinctly reflected on her experiences serving as Student Forum president. After leading class convocation two to three times a week alongside her co-president, Lexi McFarland ‘26, Jackson was well-equipped to address the Class of 2026.

Jackson begins by greeting the audience members and thanking friends and family for their support. She then shifts to address the Class of 2026, reminding them of their early years at Berkeley Preparatory School and the conflicts they’ve surmounted since. As Jackson says, “we grew from having a senior pal to being one… And most importantly, we showed up and grew together as a class.”

Jackson has an encompassing perspective of Berkeley; besides Student Forum, she volunteered at the Berkeley Academy, took a Digital Design class and participated in numerous Berkeley sports programs, such as cross-country and soccer. These various activities display Jackson’s dedication to Berkeley’s values of helping others. She advises future graduating classes: “Always be kind, because you never know whose day you can make with a small act of love.”

Jackson also recounted lighthearted anecdotes about the unforgiving Common Application and the frustrations of parking in the junior lot, earning a few chuckles from the crowd. She concluded the speech with a heartwarming reminder for the Class of 2026: “No matter the college we attend or friends we make or adventures we undertake, Berkeley will always have a place in our hearts that keeps us Buccaneers.”

To read Jackson’s speech, click here.