US Students Set High Bar For This Year's Senior Speakers Program

Congratulations to our first Senior Speakers of the 2024-25 school year, Dean G. and Arlo B!

The Senior Speakers Program requires every Grade 12 student to deliver a speech to the entire Upper School, with assemblies held once a week. It has become a genuine rite of passage for the Berkeley Carroll graduate. The topics range from comical, informative, heartwarming, inspirational, and at many times, all of the above.

Dean passionately settled the score in the debate of who is the greatest competitor of all time. Forget Michael Jordan. Lebron who? For Dean, the real G.O.A.T. is his hero… 16 time Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Champion and Mustard Belt winner, Joey “The Jaw” Chestnut. Dean’s enthusiastic defense of Chestnut’s dominance in the competitive eating world left us amused and hungry for more. 

Arlo shared with us a personal account of his summer camp experiences hiking in the Appalachian Mountains in Maine. What started as a fun outdoor expedition with friends, would become what Arlo described as “an extreme mental and physical trial,” culminating in a trek to the summit of Mt. Katahdin his final year. And while he would like to forget the terrible sunburn he sustained from that day on the mountain, the lessons he learned from his time on the trail have stayed with him long after the pain would subside.

Public speaking has always been a point of pride for Berkeley Carroll students, with many excelling in debate and oratory competitions on a national level. The Senior Speakers Program not only showcases their individual strengths but also reinforces the school’s commitment to fostering confidence and strong communication skills. We look forward to hearing more outstanding speeches from the Class of 2025 as the year unfolds. Congratulations again to Dean and Arlo for setting a high bar for this year’s speakers!