We were honored to welcome Victoria Yu ’08 as our guest speaker. Victoria shared her inspiring journey of finding peace through adversity, navigating a life-changing health challenge, and rediscovering strength, resilience, and purpose as a para-athlete and Olympic hopeful. She reminded students, “I wasn’t weaker—I was learning a new way to be strong.”

 

Victoria also spoke about the importance of inner calm and perspective, reflecting, “Peace didn’t mean being okay. It meant learning to sit with not being okay.” Horses, she explained, became her teachers of peace, requiring calm energy and gentle intention, and riding helped her rebuild both her body and mind. Her dedication led her to compete at the Adequan®/USEF Para Dressage National Championships, where she earned the reserve national title in August. 

 

In their advisories, students reflected on the question, How can we, individually and together, take action to build a more inclusive, sustainable, peaceful world for all? They reviewed four types of stewardship—Personal, Environmental, Community, and Financial—and then brainstormed concrete ways to live out stewardship in their own lives. Groups created posters highlighting two specific actions they plan to take this year to promote peace and care, connecting their work to themes such as building a peaceful world, fostering a just society, and making everyday choices that contribute to a better economy and stronger community.

 

The day was about more than reflection; it was about building a foundation for action. Our middle schoolers are taking steps to live their values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship, making a difference in ways big and small.