The Upper School’s valedictorian for the Class of 2014 will be Kevin Duraiswamy. Chosen by the campus’ Division Head Butch Keller, Kevin will write and deliver a speech during the graduation ceremony held on May 24. The Baccalaureate speaker for the Class of 2014, voted in through a poll on April 29, will be Efrey Noten.

 “I’m a little nervous,” Kevin said of his upcoming speech. “Each time someone congratulates me it feels good, but at the same time it adds pressure that people are expecting a good speech. Everyone is listening, like everyone I know and then more people that I don’t know and so in some ways it’s a really nice opportunity to say something meaningful but at the same time it’s also a little bit stressful, because I want to give the best speech that I can.”

Kevin’s speech, lightly edited by Keller, will discuss the various lessons seniors have learned at Harker and the ways that they will be important in their futures.

Kevin also reflected on his time at the Upper School and the most defining experiences he underwent.

“At Harker, there’s so much being offered in terms of classes and extra-curriculars,” he said. “I think that’s probably what’s been most important, being able to take different classes and then find my interests in humanities and classics and become interested in law, too.”

 Kevin looks forward to college, planning on majoring in classics and perhaps looking to enter law school afterwards.

 Efrey feels that the class’ decision to vote him as Baccalaureate speaker shows the way that he has changed over the course of the year.

“I’m really humbled, because at the beginning of this year I wasn’t nearly as social, and to me this sort of represents how I have become more confident in speaking and being in social settings,” he said.

Efrey’s speech will concern the importance of compassion and awareness in day to day life to reduce the amount of petty frustration experienced by those who settle into a routine.

“I’m really excited to deliver my message,” he said. “I don’t know how receptive people will be, because a lot of people don’t want to show up to baccalaureate, but I’m hoping that I will keep an audience, and people will enjoy what I have to say.”

During high school, Efrey found that one of the most defining experiences was his research project for Synopsys and the Research Symposium.

“It represents purely my interest in science and all that coming together for my senior year, and it represents a combination of all that work,” he said.

In college, Efrey plans on continuing to do scientific research.

This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on May 16, 2014.