Soham Gadi ‘29 Addresses Peers at Eighth Grade Celebration

As the Class of 2029 enjoyed their Eighth Grade Celebration on Thursday, May 29, 2025, Soham Gadi ’29 took a few minutes to address his peers.

Good evening, everyone!

Well, here we are—standing at the finish line of middle school. It feels just like yesterday we were all nervously walking into those first days of school, wondering if we’d fit in or if we’d survive the massive homework load. When I think of middle school, I think of the people: our classmates, teachers, and all the shared experiences that brought us as a class closer. And now, as I reflect on my middle school journey from fifth grade to eighth grade, one word keeps coming to mind: community.

Like a lot of people, when I started in fifth grade, I was still trying to figure things out—how my schedule worked, who my friends were, where I belonged, and many more. But slowly, through classes, clubs, field trips, and much more, I started to realize that I actually enjoy being around others, that I’m more social than I thought. I began to feel more comfortable, started making friends, and found my place here. Whether it was Camp Wyman, where we made new friends and listened to Mr. Taylor’s legendary night stories, or the space simulators at the Challenger Space Learning Center, there was never a moment of boredom, and I had people I could rely on who supported me.

Our classes also played a huge role in our growth. I remember being so nervous in Mr. Duvall’s sixth-grade history class, convinced my World War I essay wasn’t good enough—but I learned from it, with the immense support of our teachers. Whether it was learning to get my thoughts down quickly in Ms. Caufield’s English class, diving deep into spider web discussions in Dr. Miller’s class, or breaking a glass jar in Dr. Sonty’s Winter Term class, each teacher helped us learn and grow from our mistakes.

One of the best parts of being in such a diverse and thoughtful community is seeing different perspectives. I met classmates who challenged the way I thought, who showed me new ways to solve problems. In fact, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned during middle school is that it’s okay not to have all the answers—and that there’s so much to gain by learning from people who know more than you. Whether it was a classmate, a teacher, or even a friend, some of my biggest growth came from simply listening and being open to new ideas.

As all of us move into high school, I want to assure all of you that we will continue to grow academically and socially. And as someone who had a taste of the rigor of ninth-grade math this year, I can tell you this: we’ll be okay in Upper School. We’re ready. Because we’ve built a strong foundation here, and we know how to lean on each other.

So as I see you all at this moment, ready to step into high school, I just want to say thank you. I cannot thank all of the teachers in the Middle School enough for believing in us, and standing by our side even when we asked, “Is it summative?” even though it was on Canvas. Thank you to my friends who made school a little more fun, and helped make middle school unforgettable. And thank you to MICDS, for giving us a place to belong. Most importantly, I would like to thank my family for always being there for me.

Go Rams!