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For 91���� Northampton’s 2024 Convocation ceremony, alumna Christina Djossa ’10 was invited to speak to students as the keynote speaker. Below are her remarks in full. To read more about Djossa’s career, click here to read a story from the Spring 2023 91���� Northampton Bulletin. Watch her speech .

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Alright, let’s just get one thing out of the way: (middle school) and high school are a little wild. And by ‘a little wild,’ I mean, it’s like being in a game where the rules change every week.

And here you are – whether you’re a freshman or a senior – just trying to figure out where your first class is or how you fit in, this year?��

Look, I’ve been there too.

Cause I remember when I first started at 91����, I didn’t know how to use my mailbox…for the first month. I kept waiting for the opportunity to unlock it when no one was looking. Early one morning on a Saturday, I went to the Reed Center and stood there and still did not get my mailbox open, like four times! Even when the fifth time worked, I ran away with my mail because I didn’t want to find out if anyone had seen me failing at something so simple.

And if you think moments like that end after freshman year — think again! I remember my junior year, someone asked me to watch the horror movie Saw.

I didn’t want to admit that I hadn’t seen it and basically hadn’t seen any horror movies in my life, so I was like, “oh yeah, love Saw! I’ve seen em all”

Then, a few days later, my friends were marathoning the Saw movies in the common room, and I had to pretend I was super into it, when I was secretly dying inside AND it actually was my first horror movie!! And I am not a good liar!!����

So there were tons of times it felt like everyone else had it together, and I was trying to keep up.��

But here’s the thing: everyone — everyone — feels like they’re failing at the 91���� game sometimes.

So, if you’re sitting in the Stu-bop feeling like, ‘Am I doing this right?’ The answer is yes. Because 91���� is all about figuring things out as you go. Everyone around you is simultaneously trying to blend in and stand out—like, ‘Yes, I want to be noticed, but not like that!’

And that’s normal high school stuff. But what also happens at 91���� is that you’re contained to this one group of people. That means everyone will split into smaller groups in kind of an intense way.

You’re figuring out who you are—-whether you like horror, for example—and then you have to be like, oh, do I want to be seen as part of this group that watches horror movies? Or am I outside that group because I lied at first? Do I belong or do I not?

Here’s the thing: you don’t have to be in or out of a group. Who you are right now, might not be who you are tomorrow. And that’s okay. I used to think I had to figure out who I was by the end of 91����, like there was some kind of deadline.

There’s no deadline. You’re allowed to evolve. That’s part of the fun—getting to try on different versions of yourself until you find the one that fits best. Or, you know, at least until you figure out that neon green isn’t your color. Trust me on that one.

And by the way, if you do feel like you’ve hit your final form, I’m impressed, but I also don’t believe you. Life is weird, and everybody gets thrown curveballs. You may have a bit more evolving to do.

So, while you’re figuring that out, my first piece of advice is: find your safe space at 91����.

And by ‘safe space,’ I don’t mean a literal place, though that can be part of it. It’s more about finding something that makes you feel like you can breathe easy, like you didn’t even realize you were holding your breath before.

For some of you, that might be a specific room—like the art studio, or the soccer field, or the library, or your bedroom. Or, maybe it’s not a room, maybe it’s a group chat with friends, or an online community where you can be your real self.

For me, it was at the dance studio being with other students of color. The ancestors did not bless me with the skill of learning choreo, but I loved sitting against the mirror and watching my friends dance-battle each other.

Another was chatting with Robin on stir fry night about what she and the dining staff had cooked up, and then walking to the self-proclaimed Black and Brown table, where my friends were already laughing.

It was watching Naruto at Ford Hall, and listening to indie music that would make Billie Eilish cry in Mem Hall.

If you haven’t found that place yet, don’t worry—it exists. And for now, if your safe space is chilling in the bathroom between classes, I’m not here to judge. We all need a break sometimes.

Now, let’s come back to this whole ‘authentic self’ thing, the one I was trying to find on a deadline. Again, you’re not gonna figure it out completely right now. If you get to the end of high school and still feel kinda lost, congratulations—you’re just like everyone else.

But finding those places and times where you feel at ease is going to lead you towards a more genuine, self-actualized, and fulfilled version of yourself.

I’ll give you an example. At 91����, I thought I had to fit into a box, to conform to what I thought I was supposed to be.��

I never thought I was enough – I wasn’t smart enough, Black enough, light skinned enough, creative enough, so I changed how I talked and dressed, and suppressed what made me, me.

So it took me a minute to realize, what genuinely excites me.��

One of those exciting moments was in Mr. Choo’s biology class. We were all assigned to read a science-fiction book, and I got “Andromeda Strain” by Michael Crichton. I brought it with me to a track meet at Westfield Academy and read the entire thing in one sitting. It was at that moment, I discovered my love for science-fiction.

Another moment was in Ms. Klumpp’s World Civilizations class, where we created skits to reenact the Ramayana, which made me realize how much I loved learning about the communities and societies outside my own. I remember thinking that one day, I wanted to find ways to bridge different cultures together, hopefully through stories.��

Those moments changed everything. They made me realize that being true to myself wasn’t about seeming right to other people, but about following what felt right for me.

And I know the idea of “being yourself” is something you’ve heard before, really since you were in preschool. But I want you to hear something a little different this time: adults do not automatically learn how to be themselves.

Some people you know, maybe your siblings or your best friends, will force themselves to talk and dress and act a certain way so hard that they start to feel completely disconnected from how they act. They will no longer be able to discover that they love sci-fi or journalism because, the story they’ve made up about being someone who doesn’t like those things, is too loud.

When you start figuring out what’s authentic for you, you can start chasing the things that light you up, that make you feel alive. You’ll naturally start gravitating toward opportunities that are perfect for you. And that’s what’s going to make your life amazing.

When I left 91����, it took a while to find those perfect opportunities. But the more I chased the things that lit me up, the more my personal and professional life started to crystallize. That interest in bridging cultures together, which I formed during World Civilizations class, sparked my desire to study abroad in college.��

I spent a year living in Tokyo, studying international affairs at Waseda University, and meeting people who became some of my closest friends—friends who didn’t even blink when I tried to get them into horror.��

Turns out, a love of horror is a universal language.��

Look, living abroad wasn’t always easy—being in a different country pushed me out of my comfort zone, forced me to learn quickly, and reminded me that I still had so much to figure out.��

But those experiences abroad opened doors I hadn’t even considered.��

They led me to a Princeton in Asia fellowship in Nepal, where at the nonprofit World Education, I worked on communication and development programs, helping to tell the stories of Nepali communities that had long been overlooked.��

That desire to bridge cultures and share stories became the thread that tied my professional journey together—whether it was reporting on race and identity in America at WNYC, uncovering hidden histories at Atlas Obscura, or producing stories about love and vulnerability on the Modern Love podcast at The New York Times.��

Every step of the way, I was following that spark, the people or things that made me feel alive, even when I wasn’t entirely sure where it would take me.

Through all these experiences, one thing stayed the same: I was always learning. Life is about embracing the unknown, growing through it, and trusting that what excites you will guide you forward.����

So, as you head into this new school year, remember this:

It’s okay to feel out of place.

It’s okay to be wrong about the rules of the game today.

Instead of trying to hit an “I know myself now” deadline, find your safe space.

And when something gets you really excited, pay attention to that thing.

High school is just one chapter in your story, and it’s not about having all the answers—it’s about staying curious and open to what comes next.

And who knows? Maybe, by the end of the year, you’ll look back and laugh at what stressed you out today, like sprinting away from your mailbox. Or maybe you still won’t quite be able to unlock it on the first try—that’s okay too.

And if you do figure out how to navigate this high school thing with zero awkward moments, let me know. I could use some tips.