Brighton Lieu named graduation commencement speaker

Graduation is quickly approaching. On Friday June 17 the class of 2022 will officially finish their high school career and prepare to move into the next part of their lives. Graduation is a way for the class to be together for one last time and celebrate their accomplishments and inspire them for the future. This year, seniors were invited to audition to be considered for the role of commencement speaker, and after the application process, senior Brighton Lieu was named the commencement speaker. “I feel incredibly honored and lucky,” said Lieu.

 

Lieu will attend the University of Virginia to study Cognitive Science and Linguistics. “I have always loved UVA and considered it my second home,” said Lieu.

 

He had a decorated high school career including being the president of the Model United Nations Club, a Co-Captain of the Academic Team, a member of the Improv Team and heavily involved in the theater department. These accolades show the hard work he put in during high school. Lieu says he feels ready to deliver the speech because of his time in the theater department. “I’m not one who gets much stage fright anymore,” Lieu said.

 

The commencement speech is a large part of the graduation and will convey a message to both the students and the parents. “I don’t want to reveal everything, but I will tell you this much. We go to school in a pretty unique building that, just like the class of 2022, has changed a lot,” said Lieu. It’s the main goal of the speaker to get across a message that they believe in and others can also support. “Learning isn’t just something to be done in the classroom, if you can begin to love learning and just be curious you’re not just doing yourself favors, but also helping the world be a bit richer of a place,” Lieu said.

 

While Lieu is keeping the rest of his speech secret for now, those who attend the graduation of the class of 2022 on June 17 will be able to hear the whole thing.