Below is the keynote address given by SGA president and member of the 2014 class, Mr. Raj Kashyap, as a part of the Founders’ Day Program in celebration of the school’s 50th birthday.
Good morning, my name is Raj Kashyap. As the SGA student body president, I am truly honored to speak today. I want to begin by thanking everyone for being here. Thank you for supporting our Donoho family.
When I was presented with the task of speaking today, I turned to the help of my older sister, Nisha Kashyap, a Donoho Class of 2011 graduate.
She began by telling me not to procrastinate, to dress nicely, and to take deep breaths.
We talked for a while about everything we love about this institution. We then came up with the definition of the Donoho Difference, and I’d like to share that with you.
The Donoho difference is not just a marketing slogan. The Donoho difference is the number of doors that were opened for me during high school, before college, and that continue to open today. It is when I was told to build a resume, which ended up being two pages long …because Donoho gave me the opportunity to excel in Arts, Athletics, AND Academics. It is when Mrs. Otwell would pull me aside and say, ‘Everything alright? What’s got you stressed?’ because she genuinely cared. The Donoho difference is the senior lounge which FORCES you to love each other because you’re family. It is the football players you find in the front row of the drama production. It is the fact that the 2013 Homecoming Queen spends 7th period playing flute in the band. The Donoho difference is the 60 hours of required community service from ninth through twelfth grade. It is every single member of the staff and their commitment to each student’s growth. It is the mutual respect you develop for your peers and teachers. The Donoho difference is what makes Donoho – different. After 14 years, it is what shaped me into the adult I am today.
Donoho’s influence does not stop upon graduation. Yes, as students, we do not truly know where the future will take us. But one thing we do know is that we will be prepared. Donoho instills a sense of pride in one’s own work, as seen with the countless achievements of our own alumni. Graduates of this school enter college with an education sometimes exceeding the first years of university teaching. This preparation builds the confidence of these students and allows for them to continue becoming great men and women of society.
Today, September 16, 2013, we celebrate our 50th anniversary as an educational institution. But Donoho is much more than that. Founded upon admirable values, Donoho provides a supportive place for students to mature and helps build character in each of us. I grow to realize more and more that without Donoho, I would not be the man I am today. And although in 265 days (Who’s’ counting?), I’ll be turning my tassle, I will always call this place my home.
