Grad Stories & Speeches

The storm clouds cleared for a bright, sunny morning on Sunday, June 7, 2026, as families and friends gathered on the lawn behind historic Russell Hall to honor the 159 graduates of the Class of 2026 during The Hun School of Princeton’s 112th Commencement Exercises. It was the perfect day for the 1990s niche game of hacky sack, which Head of School Bart Bronk noted has experienced a renaissance on the School’s campus in recent months, and provides the perfect metaphor for failure — an inevitable part of success.

Matthew Shang '26, valedictorian of the Class of 2026, reflected on how his time at Hun taught him to embrace uncertainty and trust his own path. Using the metaphor of navigating an intersection without a turn signal, he described how he arrived at Hun searching for clear directions but instead discovered the confidence to explore new opportunities and take unexpected risks. Through experiences in academics, music, leadership, and community life, Matt learned that the most meaningful growth often comes from unplanned detours and unfamiliar roads.

In his Salutatorian address, Brodie Kushner ’26 reflected on his years at Hun and the experiences that shaped him as a student, leader, athlete, and friend. Drawing on the School's mission to inspire "vigorous and joyful learning," he explored how hard work, perseverance, and growth are inseparable from the joy found in friendship, achievement, and community. Through personal stories from the classroom, athletics, leadership programs, and extracurricular activities, he illustrated how vigor and joy together define the Hun experience.

Arion Naylor ’26, the daughter of an alum, spoke about how her close connection with Hun began in 2003 — when her aunts graduated in the same spot. She reflected on the challenge of defining herself beyond that legacy. She shared how her desire for structure and certainty was tested throughout her four years, teaching her that growth comes through uncertainty and change. Through personal experiences, she explored the meaning of resilience, self-discovery, and transforming an inherited legacy into something uniquely her own.

In his Commencement remarks, Head of School Bart Bronk celebrated the achievements, spirit, and community of the Class of 2026, while reflecting on the values that defined their time at Hun. Using the unexpected campus revival of hacky sack as a central metaphor, he explored the importance of embracing failure as an essential part of growth, learning, and success. Mr. Bronk reminded graduates to view setbacks as opportunities to learn, adapt, and persevere, noting that meaningful success comes from having the courage to pick up the sack and keep playing. 

In his remarks, Board Chair Michael J. Renna, encouraged the graduates to build their lives around three guiding principles: authenticity, balance, and courage. He emphasized the importance of staying true to oneself, pursuing success without losing sight of relationships and personal fulfillment, and having the courage to take risks, learn from failure, and do what is right.

Every Saturday since the fall, while many of his peers were easing into the weekend, Kirtan C. ’26 has been heading into New York City to take his seat in a Columbia University classroom as a student in the Columbia Science Honors Program (SHP) — a highly selective program designed for students with a strong interest in science and mathematics who are eager to push beyond the limits of a traditional high school curriculum.

Walking in New York Fashion Week? For some, that’s a dream. For Alessandra Iannucci ’26, it’s her reality. At just seven years old, Alessandra earned the opportunity to walk in her first runway show. Since then, she has returned to New York Fashion Week every September and February, walking for couture designer brands like Love Baby J and immersing herself in the fast-paced world of fashion. That same year, she enrolled in Karen’s School of Fashion, where she began learning how to create original pieces from initial sketch to final stitch. 

When Yousef Khoja ’26 arrived at The Hun School for his tenth grade year, he felt like he was coming to a place where everybody already knew him. Partly because his sister had previously attended Hun, but mostly because of the warm welcome he received from his peers and dorm parents. After a long travel day from Saudi Arabia, Yousef arrived just as the International Student Association orientation was wrapping up. Feeling like an outsider to the group who had just spent an entire afternoon getting to know one another, he walked into the room and to his surprise, was greeted with cheering and clapping. 

For most students, service learning takes the shape of fundraising for a cherished cause or a weekend shift at your local nursing home, but for Allie Chirik ’26, service learning means holding a child’s hand in Malawi, moments before they undergo cleft palate surgery, and watching a mother’s relief unfold in real time post-surgery. 

This past August, more than 100 student-athletes from our varsity football and field hockey teams took their talents (and Raider pride), to Dublin, Ireland, as participants in the Global International Football Tournament (G.I.F.T.). Made possible by a transformative gift from a generous donor, the five-day cultural and athletic experience offered students the chance to participate in everything from Gaelic games and historical tours to learning traditional Irish songs and dances. The trip concluded with the G.I.F.T. awards banquet, where one standout player from each team was honored with the prestigious G.I.F.T. Ambassador Award. The athletes chosen to receive the award from The Hun School teams were football player Brady Scheier ’26 and field hockey player Addi McNally ’26. 

Four years ago, Katelyn Weiss ’26 joined the Janus Players tech crew on a whim. With no prior experience and only a vague familiarity through a few family members in the industry, she joined the production of Spongebob: The Musical, unsure of just about everything except the fact that this experience would combine two passions she hoped to explore: technology and woodworking.

At this year’s closing Community Life Awards Ceremony, Brodie K. ’26 received The Hun School’s first-ever Competitive Scholar Award — a fitting recognition for a student who has spent his entire academic career seeking out challenge. A Hun School “lifer,” Brodie began accelerating his coursework early, taking eighth grade math in sixth grade and advancing into one of the School’s highest-level math classes by eighth. By tenth grade, he had expanded his learning beyond Hun’s campus, enrolling in courses at Princeton University while continuing to immerse himself in extracurricular activities here at Hun. 

Congratulations are in order! Enzo P. ’26 has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Central Jersey Marquee Awards for his portrayal of Lord Farquaad in the Janus Players’ winter production of Shrek The Musical.

Aolani H. ’26 came to Hun with an interest in medicine and a desire to gain as much experience in the field as possible. In tenth grade year, she co-founded the Doctors of Tomorrow club, building a space for students with aspirations in medicine to learn from professionals and begin imagining themselves in white coats. The club currently boasts twenty-five girls as members, all of whom share a common goal: pursuing careers in medicine.

Since she was a little girl, Anjali D. ’26 has watched her mother lead the New Jersey chapter of Asha Jyothi, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing educational and healthcare services to underprivileged communities. Inspired by her mother’s work, Anjali knew she wanted to make a difference in the lives of others. When the opportunity arose, Anjali jumped at the chance to join  a campaign to provide sewing machines to women in rural India — a simple act that can offer a path to economic independence. 

Financial Literacy, Painting 1 and 2, Psychology, and CAD 1: Architecture in the 21st Century. At first glance, this string of classes might seem unrelated, but for Nicholas P. ’26, they form a perfectly logical sequence for his Scholars Program: “Architectural Freedom With Computer Aided-Design”. Since his tenth grade year when he declared his program, Nicholas has seamlessly woven together his academic pursuits and personal passions, uncovering interdisciplinary connections along the way. 

In the fall of 2022, Ben B. ’26 auditioned for The Play The Goes Wrong, hoping to land a lead role in his first-ever school play. It wasn’t until he was cast as an on-stage crew member in the show that he discovered an unexpected passion — technical theatre. From that moment on, Ben became an integral part of the Janus Players’ tech crew, dedicating himself to bringing each production to life from behind the scenes. As opening night approaches for the winter musical Little Shop of Horrors, Ben is stepping into a technical theatre role unlike anything he has ever done before — bringing Audrey II, the 700 pound, flesh-eating plant, to life. 

In the spring of 2022, Sean X. ’26 and members of the volunteer organization that he leads, the United States-China Youth Leadership organization, took a trip to an arcade for the sake of team-bonding. A popular game that combines virtual reality with moveable seating to simulate action sparked an idea in Sean’s brain. After sharing it with the group, Sean and the team left the arcade that day with an idea for a transformative educational tool: “I thought to myself ‘what if we combine virtual reality with a mechanical device that simulates body movement on a plane? We could create an interactive VR flight simulator that could captivate young people and become a powerful medium to help an aviation museum connect with a younger audience.’” 

It was the final game of three in the She Got Game Classic Tournament. The Hun Raiders were 2-0 in the tournament up until that point; the last game was a battle until the end. Raiders were down by twenty-five and crawling their way back when captain Gabby D. ’26 scored a quick reverse lay up, sending the Raider bench into a frenzy. Gabby was focused on the next play and didn’t understand why Coach Costello would call a timeout or why the team reacted with such enthusiasm to a layup. When she got to the team huddle, she was met with news that she had just hit her 1,000th career point. 

Kirtan C. ’26 has been busy this summer making some serious (chess) moves! In July, he competed in the Continental Chess World Open Championship earning third highest points in the U1400 group, taking home a prize of $1,600. Over the three day tournament in Philadelphia, Kirtan played nine total chess games, some lasting upwards of four hours each. 

On Saturday April 27th, Sean X. ‘26 and Tom C. ‘26’s nonprofit organization, Autism Awareness Alliance, hosted ‘Beyond the Spectrum’, an all-day community event that celebrates Autism Awareness Month. The event was held in downtown Princeton, between the Dinky Bar and McCarter Theatre with over 150 local families with children on the spectrum in attendance. The fun-filled celebration kicked off with a keynote speech from Mayor Mark Freda followed by endless activities including musical performances, lion dancing, carnival games, and prizes.

Have you heard? Arsh P. ’26 and his brother, Aarav’s podcast “Two Brothers and Their Sports” was recently nominated for the  2023 Best American Football Podcast.  Voting for the competition ended on January 28th and the winner will be announced in early February. 

Jeffrey J. ’26 picked up table tennis in an after school program in the fourth grade; today, he plays competitively for the New Jersey Table Tennis Club (NJTTC) and frequently places at the top of his age bracket in the United States of America Table Tennis tournament (USATT), the largest table tennis tournament in North America. In both 2021 and 2022, Jeffrey placed second in the tournament.