Nico Cox-Garleanu ‘29 Speaks at Eighth Grade Celebration

As the Class of 2029 enjoyed their Eighth Grade Celebration on Thursday, May 29, 2025, Nico Cox-Garleanu ’29 addressed his peers and their families. 

Hello, my fellow students, faculty, staff, and parents. My name is Nico Cox-Garleanu, and it is an honor to be speaking with you this evening.

When I was very young, maybe six or seven years old, I dreamed of owning one of those Nerf guns that could shoot its own projectiles. Back then, I was really into action movies, and I thought it would be so cool to have a harmless toy gun so I could pretend to be one of the heroes.

Unfortunately, my mom did not let me get one as she worried about my siblings losing an eye,  probably a valid concern, so I was left with two options: to just be sad OR to make my own somehow. So I began to collect materials. I got out paper, glue, and tape, then went straight to work. I even worked out a way to make it shoot by adding a rubber band. After multiple attempts, the final product was a great surprise. Something I had never thought I would be able to do. That was when I realized that it was not unfortunate that my parents did not buy me a Nerf gun. It was instead a great opportunity for me to get better at something and learn. But most importantly, I was proud of my creation, especially because it was made well enough to cause my mom to feel a need to set some safety rules regarding its use. And that was when I realized how glad I was to have put in the time to learn and create and discover as opposed to simply buying the Nerf gun.

Now that we’re graduating middle school, I think back to that little paper-and-rubber-band gun a lot more than you’d expect. Why? Because it reminds me that some of the best things we get don’t come from the product, but from the process. They come from figuring things out when things don’t go as hoped or planned.

Middle school was kind of like that. We didn’t always get the grades we wanted, we didn’t always win the games, and sometimes we had tough days—whether it was with schoolwork, friends, or just trying to figure out who we are. There were last-minute study crams in the science wing; times we stayed up late at night after a long, busy day of school and athletics; occasions where we fretted over a presentation; and times we may have gotten literal negative scores on grammar quizzes. But somehow, despite the challenges, we all kept going and made it through. We got creative! And learned things in the process, and we problem-solved often, together. “Even when the dark came crashing through”—thanks, Mr. Roberts!—we were not alone. Together we strived for success, and together we supported each other with gestures of kindness, gratitude, encouragement, and by remembering to find joy and fun in the everyday.

Now, if you close your eyes and try to think of a time this year or last when you needed someone to be there for you, you know that someone here in this room had your back. Whether it was your family or your friends and teachers here at MICDS, you were definitely not alone. And know this: you won’t be alone next year when we’ve all made it to high school either. We’re pretty awesome, Class of 2029! As we continue to make our way, let us remember to enjoy and embrace the process of getting there despite the invaluable challenges that we will ultimately experience on our journey to becoming the best humans that we can be. And let us remember that we’re in this together, and we can count on one another. Congratulations, Class of 2029, we did it! And a big thank you to all who helped us!