Jagannathan: ‘Lakeland has this incredible way of turning strangers into teammates’

Good morning, faculty, families, friends, and the Class of 2026.

It is truly an honor to stand here today as your salutatorian and to be speaking on this stage.

When I first started thinking about what to say today, I kept coming back to one question: How did we get here?

Over the past four years, we've stayed up late studying for tests, won titles on courts and fields, and performed on stages that challenged us to share our talents with others.

And when we look back on those accomplishments, it's easy to focus on the moments that have our names attached to them—a grade, a trophy, a leadership position, or, in my case, standing at this podium.

But the more I reflect on my own high school experience, the more I realize every success I've had has been shaped by people who challenged me, encouraged me, and sometimes simply showed up when I needed them most.

I think the same is true for all of us.

And while today celebrates our individual achievements, it also reminds us of something even more important: none of us became who we are alone.

For me, that realization began as early as freshman year.

I came in expecting school to be ... well ... school. Study hard, get good grades, go home, repeat. I thought success was something you earned on your own.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

Somewhere between Jeopardy in Mr. Merriam's history class, launching bottle rockets in Mr. Prost's physics class, and English discussions where every opinion added something new, I realized I wasn't just learning from my teachers—I was learning from the people around me.

Pretty soon, I stopped asking “How can I do better?” and started asking “How can we do better?”

Now, if you've spent any amount of time with me, you probably know I have to talk about badminton.

I grew up playing badminton with my family, so I knew the game. What I didn't expect was to come to Lakeland and find an entire community that loved it just as much as I did. Every year, for two straight months, we packed the gym. During free periods, after school, if there was an open court, someone was playing.

What I loved wasn't just the game itself. It was the way badminton brought together people who might never have met otherwise. Athletes, musicians, AP students, freshmen, seniors—it didn't matter. Someone would hand you a racket, ask if you wanted to jump in, and suddenly you were part of the group.

I don't think that's a coincidence. It was the same feeling I had in the classroom. Lakeland has this incredible way of turning strangers into teammates, classmates into friends, and individual successes into something we can all celebrate together.

When I think about my time here, I'll remember that feeling—that somewhere along the way, I found my community and went from “me” to “we.”

As I look out at the Class of 2026, I know my story isn't unique. Every one of us has a version just like it.

Maybe it was a teacher who believed in you before you believed in yourself. Maybe it was a teammate who pushed you to keep going or someone who simply made coming to school a little brighter.

As we head off to college, the military, the workforce, or wherever life takes us, I know we'll chase our goals with the same ambition and joy we've shown these past four years. But as we do, I hope we also remember to continue being that person who invites someone to join the game, stays after to explain a problem, or just makes another person feel like they belong.

Because years from now, someone may look back on their own journey and realize they became who they are because of something you did.

As we leave Lakeland, we're all heading in different directions. Some of us will be just a few miles from home, and others will be halfway across the country. But wherever we end up, I hope we carry a little bit of Lakeland with us.

When I first started thinking about this speech, I asked myself, “How did we get here?”

After four years at Lakeland, I think I finally know the answer.

We did it—together.

Congratulations, Class of 2026.

Read Jagannathan’s entire speech at theyorktownnews.com