Commencement 2026: Speech by Caleb Isenberg ’26

Good morning, everyone. My name is Caleb Isenberg, and I am one of the co-presidents of the senior class.

You know, when Lila and I decided to run for senior class presidents, we knew that speaking at graduation was one of the many things we would have to do.

But it wasn’t until I finally had to put fingers to keys that the enormity of the task hit me. First of all, there are so many eyes watching me: teachers, classmates, parents, siblings, grandparents, I mean, the list goes on and on. And when I first started seriously considering thinking about my graduation speech, my social media algorithms did, too.

After hundreds of motivational speeches and edits of graduation speeches popped up on my reels and TikToks, I came to understand that are three main parts to an effective speech: the first is a story.

So, if I were going to tell you all a story, it would go like this:

It’s the morning of the EIL Boys Soccer championship game at Berwick. I am sitting in silence on the warm metal bleachers before one of the biggest moments of my high school career.

Not silence because nobody was there, but silence because everyone was waiting. Waiting to see what would happen next. My hands were sweating, my heart was pounding so fast I could hear it in my ears.

I had this fear, a fear of failing, of letting everyone down, having realized that we could write our names in the Wheeler history books. The last time the Wheeler boys soccer team had won the EIL championship was 38 years ago. To put that in perspective, 38 years ago, Mr. Schmidt and Ms. Funnell were teaching my dad here at Wheeler.

The fear lingered with me, but I came to realize everyone around me felt the same. This was the first time I understood something I’ve heard a thousand times: Pressure is a privilege.

Pressure builds character, it builds diamonds, it builds you as a person, student, friend, and family member. Throughout my 13 years at Wheeler, I have endured pressure. I know some perceive the academic environment as overly stressful or damaging, but this competitiveness is a privilege. It forces us to build on each other, to work harder, and, most importantly, it creates our story.

So we have reached the end of the first part of what makes a good speech, a story. Now, giddy up, as Ms. Healey used to say to us in 3rd grade, we have two more parts to go.

The second part is a good message. My message today has three parts, and they all intertwine. I know, if you are doing the math, I just took 1 of the 2 parts left, and now you actually have to sit through four more parts of my speech. But that’s besides the point.

The first message: Never Give Up.

I know when you hear that, it seems basic and clichéd, and all three of my messages might seem clichéd, but bear with me, it’s how you interpret the phrases that make them unique.

Over the years, I’ve encountered thousands of clichés, and what I’ve realized is that the deeper you think about them and the more you really soak them in, the more they make sense.

Never giving up means pushing through the hard times. As we all move on from Wheeler, we will be faced with adversity. And I challenge you to never give up and push through whatever you’re faced with.

The second message: is to never turn down opportunities.

This has been my last year at a place that’s been my home for more years than I can count. Just kidding, Mom and Dad, I can count to 13. I’ve done a lot of reflecting about the countless opportunities I’ve passed up. From Aerie Literary Voices and the Spoke, where students like Robin and Gunnar get to show off their writing, to the Island School, where Hattie and Anna got to experience something truly transformative. Ways to learn, grow, and give back to a community that has given me so much. But I passed them up, leaving myself with some regret.

When opportunities are given, take them. Jump at them and wish for more because if you don’t, new doors that could have been opened will be closed forever.

The third message: create lasting relationships.

Forging relationships with others is so important, and it’s a life skill my grandpa and dad taught me at a young age. And today, I’m asking you to never forget the relationships and the community you have built here at Wheeler.

I would like everyone to take a second, look to your left and to your right, and introduce yourselves, and please, please be sure to give a good handshake. You might have introduced yourself to someone who might be a friend, a stranger, a community member, a sibling, or a classmate.

The reason I just asked everyone to introduce themselves isn’t because I needed to take a water break, but because one of the qualities I value about Wheeler the most is the sense of community that has been built and continues to grow every day.

When I’m asked why Wheeler is so different from other schools, my immediate answer is the community. The relationships you forge with friends, faculty, and even the younger kids on campus.

Throughout my time at Wheeler, I’ve met so many amazing individuals, whether they are teachers, alumni, or now some of my best friends.

And this community doesn’t just exist inside the classroom. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked through the courtyard and seen a teacher from lower or middle school, and without missing a beat, they stop and say, “Hey, how are you?” We catch up, we talk, and they still care about you and how you’re doing, even though you haven’t been in their classrooms in years.

Being able to connect with others can be so impactful; you really never know who you will meet in life, and that simple handshake can open so many doors and opportunities.

But the real reason I bring up relationships is my new friend Duncan, and he and his family have allowed me to tell this story and use his real name.

Every year at Wheeler, the seniors walk out with the younger kids at an opening ceremony. And I remember being that little kid, looking up at the seniors like they were the biggest people in the world. This year, I got to be on the other side of that. And the kid I walked out with was Duncan.

Duncan reminds me of myself. And because of that, I was able to see him for who he really is, one of the sweetest, most genuine kids I’ve ever met. That moment walking out with him at opening ceremony, I remember thinking that just yesterday I was the little hand holding a senior’s giant hand. I hope that 12 years from now, Duncan has the same memory when he’s crossing the courtyard, holding onto a first grader’s hand. The relationships you build along the way, with your classmates, teachers, or even a first grader at opening ceremony, you just never forget them.

Now, the third part of a good speech: the closing. For me, a good closing is a thank you. If I were to say a true thank you, I would be up here for days, and nobody wants that. So I’ve picked out a select few to say thank you to.

First, Lila, my partner in crime. We have been best friends since we were born, and you are truly the third sister I never had. Thank you for putting up with me for so many years and sticking by my side when I needed you most. I’m really going to miss our long one-sided conversations about whatever you have to talk about. Lila, I know you’re going to do amazing things at Maryland.

Second, I’d like to thank my family. Mimi and Pops, thank you for coming here today to support me and for being with me every step of the way. Sophie and Lily, thank you for being the best two sisters I could ever ask for. Lily, I’m going to miss you so much and can’t wait to see how long you last as the only child with mom and dad. Sophie, I’m so happy that we will be so close next year and even happier that our brother-sister rivalry can continue. Go Hawks.

Mom and Dad, thank you for being there through every high and low of the last eighteen years. You were the ones who listened after a tough day at school, drove me to countless practices, and kept me grounded when everything felt overwhelming. Thank you for always believing in me, pushing me to do my best, and offering unconditional support. Being up here, and walking across this stage, is as much your accomplishment as it is mine, and I am incredibly grateful for everything you’ve done for me.

Lastly, to all of my teachers, advisors, and coaches over the years, thank you so much for instilling in me lifelong lessons and skills I will cherish forever. Please know I truly appreciate all the work you do for the community and did for me. You have shaped me into the person I am today.

And as I stand up here looking out at all of you, there is no algorithm, no reel, and no TikTok that could ever teach me what I learned here at Wheeler. The pressure, the community, the relationships, the experience of winning a championship game with teammates who are like family, and the Duncans of the world aren’t something you can scroll past. They’re something to live for. And I am so grateful I got to live it here.