On April 22, 17 students were from the Class of 2025 were inducted into the Cum Laude Society in front of their families and advisors.

The following students were inducted: Stephen Bailey, Ella Chen, Pindar Chen, Sophie Chen, Sasha Dausey, Curran Dee, William Duvall, Christian Gingeleskie, Jenna Kanaan, Jack Krieble, Margaret Miller, Claire Palmer, Abigail Schiff, Julia Sohn, Daniela Tippner, Amy Wang, Ziwen Yin, and Zhengyan Zhang.

Taryn Braz from the Class of 2014 was the keynote speaker and offered a message that was both warm and wise. With stories of bread bowl lunches, softball championships, and even a few secret detours hiding in the bathroom during field hockey practice when her team should have been running, she reminded students that the best parts of KO aren’t just the traditions—they’re the people.

“I don’t remember the tests I failed or the wrong answers I gave in class,” she said,  “but I do remember how it felt to show up to a place where I was surrounded by support and kindness and to be welcomed into an established community.”

She urged the students to cherish the friendships they had made here and stay open to new communities wherever life led. Whether it was a last-minute prom dash after a big win, the kindness of a senior who welcomed her before her first day, or planting a community garden in rural Virginia, each story pointed to one simple truth: community is everything.

Braz shared her journey post-KO. While at Boston College, she reconnected with the activities she loved, like writing for the school newspaper, working in the fitness center, and being involved with the school’s athletic department. She said that one of her most meaningful experiences at BC was volunteering in Appalachia and bonding with her host family and the people in the town, emphasizing that communities can be built everywhere. “The experience reinforced for me that community isn’t always something you are born into – it’s something you choose to create,” she said.

Following graduation, she worked for the Boston Red Sox in the fan and youth engagement department, where she expanded access to ensure that people who didn’t grow up attending games every summer still felt a sense of belonging. The organization’s partnership with the Miracle Network, a non-profit for people with mental or physical disabilities, was significant. “We focused not just on bringing fans into Fenway,” she said, “but on bringing Fenway out into the community.”

And now, working at the Harvard Varsity Club, an organization within Harvard Athletics, Braz is involved in helping student-athletes both while in school and beyond. It’s yet another opportunity to build connections, create inclusive spaces, and show up for others. She said that KO was where she discovered what it meant to be part of a community, and she has sought spaces and a career path that upholds that core value.

In her parting words to the students, she said, “If you don’t see a space that represents you, create one. Get involved, start something. You’d be amazed at what can grow from that.”