PORTSMOUTH — There are graduation speeches that disappear from memory before the folding chairs are stacked. And then there are graduation speeches that involve volcanoes, George Washington Carver, a rock band lyric, five hidden gift cards and a plea that might be the simplest life advice ever delivered from a commencement podium:

“Don’t be a jerk.”

That line, delivered by Portsmouth High School teacher Eric Daniel to the Class of 2026 Friday evening on the school’s athletic field, drew laughter. But it also captured the theme of a commencement ceremony that repeatedly returned to the idea that small acts — of learning, faith, gratitude and kindness — can shape lives in ways nobody can predict.

Daniel, chosen by the senior class as this year’s guest speaker, began by admitting he felt unqualified to offer life-changing wisdom. “When I started to prepare for this speech, I felt like a fraud,” he said to the 200 graduating seniors in front of him. “I thought, how can I share some life-shaping wisdom when I’m still figuring some things out?”

That uncertainty, he argued, is not a weakness but a strength. “The wise man is one who knows what he does not know,” he said, quoting the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu.

Daniel encouraged graduates to embrace lifelong learning and not panic if they do not yet know exactly where life is heading. “You’ve hardly learned everything you need to know at 18, but you don’t need to have all the answers,” he said.

To make the point, he cited late bloomers including Julia Child, Vera Wang and Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Sanders, who launched his famous business at age 65. “Don’t let the fear of failing or the prison of complacency stop you from changing direction,” Daniel said. “Never stop learning.”

Travel, he said, is one of the best teachers available. “Travel is not about the Instagram landmarks and cafes,” he said. “It’s about the experiences, memories, and especially the people you encounter.”

Daniel shared a personal story about traveling to the Azores, where his grandparents had lived before a volcanic eruption devastated their community and prompted their immigration to the United States.

After hacking through an overgrown forest, he located the remains of his grandparents’ home. “As I stood in the ruin of what was once their house,” he said, “all of my problems seemed small in comparison.”

The experience, he said, gave him a renewed sense of gratitude and reinforced a lesson that photos and videos can never fully replace firsthand experience. “Don’t settle for photographs or videos you can easily find online,” he said. “Go out and see the world for yourself.”

Then came the “don’t be a jerk” section of the speech.

Daniel urged graduates to pick up after their dogs, return shopping carts and hold doors open for strangers. But he argued that basic decency is only the starting point. “A kind word, a thoughtful gesture, or an act of encouragement can have a lasting effect,” he said.

To illustrate that point, he told the story of art teacher Etta Budd, who encouraged a promising student named George Washington Carver to pursue botany rather than art. That decision eventually influenced agricultural advances that affected millions of lives. “This domino effect of goodwill all began with the support and encouragement of a single art teacher,” Daniel said.

Then he put his lesson into practice.

Five envelopes had been hidden beneath audience seats. Each contained two gift cards. One was for the recipient. The other was intended for a stranger. “Give it to someone and tell them you hope they have a better day,” Daniel said.

His conclusion distilled the evening’s central message into three simple instructions: “Never stop learning, meet new people and keep an open mind, and do something every once in a while to make someone’s day better.”

Student speakers

If Daniel’s speech was about curiosity and kindness, student speaker Emma Norton’s was about the people who help create us.

Selected by her classmates, Norton built her address around a single image: a mosaic. “You are a mosaic of every person that loves you and everyone you have ever loved,” she said, quoting a line that she said had stayed with her throughout senior year.

The metaphor became the framework for a deeply personal speech that included a tribute to her father. “My dad has been a significant part of it; his laughter, his kindness and his constant support has shaped me into the person I am today,” she said. “He has given me tiles with the most beautiful of colors.”

Norton urged graduates to consider the people, experiences and challenges that have shaped their own lives. “Life is not made up of perfect pieces,” she said. “Some of our tiles may feel cracked or broken.”

Yet those difficult moments often become the most meaningful parts of the picture. “Broken pieces do not make a mosaic less beautiful,” she said. “In fact some of these pieces are the ones that add color and personality to a person.”

Norton reminded classmates that their years at Portsmouth High represent only a small portion of the lives they are building. “Our tiles here at Portsmouth are only 5% of our mosaic,” she said. “We have more dreams to dream, people to meet, and colors to add to our lives.”

Her final challenge was direct and unmistakably aimed at a generation raised on screens. “Welcome possibility, get off your phones, meet people, feel emotions, make connections,” she said. “You only have one mosaic to fill, fill it with the best tiles.”

Faculty-selected speaker Jyoti Ramdass approached the moment from a different angle, focusing on faith, trust and perseverance.

Ramdass recalled arriving in Portsmouth midway through her freshman year after multiple family moves tied to her father’s military career. “At 14 years old, it was an unexpected move,” she said, “but what I found was a community that welcomed me as if I had been here since the early days of elementary school.”

Reflecting on the ups and downs of high school, she noted that challenges ultimately made graduation more meaningful. “Challenges in life are guaranteed,” she said, “but through every difficulty, we kept going.”

Drawing on her Christian faith, Ramdass cited Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you ... plans to give you hope and a future.”

Even for those who are not religious, she said, the underlying message remains relevant. “We may not always understand where life may be taking us,” she said, “but we can trust that every step forward shapes us into who we are meant to become.”

She also emphasized the importance of recognizing those who helped graduates reach this milestone. “This diploma may have our names on it,” Ramdass said, “but it also belongs to everyone who believed in us along the way.”

More words of wisdom

Earlier in the ceremony, senior class president Michael Chytka welcomed graduates and reflected on perseverance, tying the class’s experience to the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary. He thanked teachers, administrators and families while urging classmates to stay committed to their values and goals.

Vice President Brooke Santucci introduced Daniel with a warm and often humorous tribute, praising his passion for history, his unconventional classroom lessons and his dedication to students. “Mr. Daniel truly believes in his students,” she said.

Class Treasurer Andrew Rodrigues introduced the senior class gift: four new Adirondack chairs for the school courtyard, intended to help future students build friendships and connections.