It’s that time of the year again!

Almost every week at Assembly, starting in late October, one or two 8th Graders get up in front of the gathered Unquowa community to share stories and lessons that carry deep meaning. Each year, our soon-to-be graduates share from the heart about their family, travels, perspectives, secret talents, passions, hopes and dreams.

For many students, these speeches are years in the making. All Unquowa students hear something like two-dozen speeches each year, and some of the best ones have a tendency to stick with them. For others, especially those just joining Unquowa in 8th Grade, this is a brand new experience, and one that definitely contributes to our mission to “educate and prepare our family of children with an unafraid spirit.” Public speaking can be nerve-wracking! Even so, no matter when they came to Unquowa, 8th Graders are prepared and excited to share their thoughts onstage.

These speeches illustrate something deeply important about this wonderful school: leadership. Eighth Graders are always leaders at Unquowa, and younger students listen with rapt attention to what the oldest students want to share with them. And what better way to enjoy Assembly for our youngest students than to get to hear special, personal words from their role models?

Please keep coming back to this post as new speeches are added each week!