Our Work

Photo credit: Notre Dame Christo Rey High School

This June, CSF Senior Scholar Christopher Pham graduated from Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School as a proud member of the Class of 2025. During the commencement ceremony, Christopher delivered a moving and courageous speech that reflected on his high school journey, the lessons he’s learned, and the community that carried him through.

In front of his peers, teachers, and loved ones, Christopher honored the people who shaped his path—from mentors and educators to classmates and family. He spoke with humility and wisdom, thanking his parents and grandparents in Vietnamese, and reflecting on the strength it took to continue after the loss of his father last year.

“Grief doesn’t come with instructions,” he shared. “It appears when you least expect it… But my community, my teachers, my friends, this class, held me up.”

Christopher's story is one of resilience, leadership, and profound empathy. He reminded his fellow graduates not to overlook life’s quiet, ordinary moments and to appreciate what’s already in front of them.

“Don’t wait to appreciate what’s already in front of you,” he urged. “Make every moment count.”

This fall, Christopher will attend UMass Amherst, ready to continue growing both personally and professionally. At CSF, we are incredibly proud of Christopher and all our outstanding senior scholars. We know their voices, ideas, and courage will shape the future and we’ll be cheering them on every step of the way.

Christopher Pham's Full Speech:

Good morning, everyone - proud families, faculty, mentors, staff, teachers, and
especially, the class of 2025.

I want to first say thank you. To our teachers, thank you for igniting our curiosity,
for believing in our potential when we didn’t see it in ourselves, and for pushing us
to grow farther beyond the classroom. To our faculty, thank you for guiding us
with your patience and showing us how to lead with compassion. To our corporate
work-study partners, thank you for your mentorship, which extended beyond
professional skills to include wisdom, insight, and belief that we always belong
wherever we set foot. To Sister Maryalyce, thank you for planting in us the seeds
of purpose, justice, and hope. Your mission lives on in each of us as we take our
next steps into the world, ready to serve, lead, and love. To every parent and
guardian, thank you for your endless sacrifices, strength, and love. You have
carried us through countless highs and lows, and today, we stand on the very
foundation that you have built with us. To the friends who became our chosen
family, thank you for being our safe space, our motivation, and our reminder that
joy can always be found, even in the hardest moments.

Before I continue I’d like to thank my grandparents and parents (Pause)
Con cảm ơn ông ngoại và bà ngoại đã dạy dỗ và trông sóc con từ nhỏ tới lớn. Đả
cho con sự khôn ngoan và kiến thức. Con cảm ơn mẹ và ba đã cho con cơ hội được
đứng đây hôm nay. Đả tạo ra con đường cho con bước đi và thúc đẩy con đặng làm
tốt hơn. Con cảm ơn rất nhiều.

Thank you, Class of 2025, for making NDCR more than just a school. You made it
a home.

On our first day, we walked into the gym with shaky steps-nervous, uncertain, and
quietly asking ourselves if we truly belonged. We were handed a challenge unlike
any other: to balance a rigorous academic schedule alongside a daunting corporate
job. It felt overwhelming, with doubts creeping in and the weight of expectations
heavy on our shoulders. But did that hold us back? No.
We learned. We adapted. We rose to meet the challenges. Whether it was figuring
out how to navigate group projects with three different Google Docs, scrambling to

turn in our assignments that were due at 7:15, or silently panicking during a
surprise quiz-we did it together. We built a community - one that carried us
through long days, early mornings, and everything in between. And just a few
weeks ago at prom, the laughter, the dancing, the pure joy- it reminded us of that
bond. A bond built not just in the good moments, but in the countless days we
pushed through together. That unity, that sense of belonging, is what made these
years not just memorable but meaningful. And even as we journeyed side by side,
each of us carved our own path. We come from different stories, different dreams,
and different paths-but we brought all of that together to create something
powerful: a class defined not by its achievements but by its heart.

I carry immense pride when looking back on the transformation we’ve gone
through. Week after week, I watched my classmates step out of their school
uniforms and into entirely new worlds. Some slipped on lab coats, others took their
place at desks or in front of computer screens, greeting each day with growing
confidence. In those moments, we weren’t just students. We were professionals in
the making.

Those once-a-week meetings weren’t just about job experience. They were
windows into the future. They were the first sparks of ambition. I saw the future
taking shape before my eyes: future engineers, lawyers, nurses, business leaders,
scientists, and trailblazers. From quiet observers to bold leaders. It’s been a gift,
witnessing your growth, evolving from wide-eyed freshmen into young
professionals with purpose and poise. And I have no doubt that what we’ve started
here will echo far beyond today.

But this journey wasn’t easy. Some days were the lowest, when temperatures were
below freezing, days when finals were all you could think about, moments when
coming to school felt like the last thing you wanted to do.

For me, one of my hardest days came in February of last year, when I lost my dad.
Grief doesn’t come with instructions. It doesn’t schedule itself around school or
responsibilities. It appears when you least expect it - on quiet mornings, in the
middle of class, or in the places you used to feel whole. Losing him felt like the
ground had been pulled out from beneath me, carrying that feeling everyday, trying
to keep going.

And yet my community- my teachers, my friends, this class, held me up. Even
when there were no perfect words to say, you were there for me. The shared
laughter, the presence, and the patience. That experience taught me something I
never expected: how easy it is to overlook the moments that matter most. If I could
go back and sit with my dad for just one more afternoon, I wouldn’t ask for
anything extraordinary. I’d just want to be there. With the time I didn’t realize I’d
run out of so quickly.

So here’s what I want to leave with you, Class of 2025: don’t wait to appreciate
what’s already in front of you. The friends and family around you. The little
routines that feel unimportant until they’re gone. Those are the moments you’ll
remember, the ones that give meaning to everything else.
As we move forward, chasing new goals and building ourselves, don’t lose sight of
what’s happening right now. The people. The conversations. The quiet, ordinary
seconds that build our days. You don’t get to go back. So make every moment
count.

Congratulations, memorable Class of 2025.

Through every challenge, every late night, every doubt, you kept going. It is no
easy accomplishment, and you should be deeply proud of yourselves. As we step
into this next chapter of our lives, let’s carry forward what we’ve built here: open
hearts and courageous minds, and a commitment for not only ourselves but for
others. The world won’t be ready for us.. our ideas, our voices, and our drive to
lead and change. But as you go forward, don’t forget where you started. Don’t
forget the legacy you leave behind here: the friendships, the growth, and the
resilience. NDCR and the community we’ve built will always be part of your story.

So, Class of 2025, the future doesn’t wait, and neither will we.