Meet Addison Trail’s class of 2026 graduation speakers

Can’t make it in person to Addison Trail’s 60th commencement ceremony on May 17? No problem! The graduation will be streamed live at 3 p.m. (CST) online at www.dupage88.net/atgrad.

On May 17, Addison Trail seniors Zion Martinez and Camila Rodriguez (pictured above) will address their classmates (about 470 students) as the student graduation speakers during Addison Trail’s 60th commencement ceremony.

They entered the school’s annual graduation-speech competition and were selected as this year’s winners by a panel of judges.

To read more about Martinez and Rodriguez – including an inside look into their commencement speeches – see the write-ups below.

Zion Martinez

  1. Title of your speech: “Passion”

  2. Summary of your speech: My speech will explore the ways our class has persistently engaged and evolved throughout our four years. It also will share that there wasn’t one moment when there wasn’t a spark amongst our group.

  3. Lessons/advice you hope to share with your peers through your speech: Be proud of what we have accomplished, and no matter who or what you work for, keep working hard.

  4. What does it mean to you to be a speaker during the commencement ceremony and to represent your class? It’s an absolute honor and privilege to be able to speak in front of my class. I am so grateful to be able to represent everyone in our grade, and I couldn’t ask for better.

  5. Involvement at Addison Trail:

    - Three-sport athlete (soccer, wrestling and volleyball)

    - Co-President of the Addison Trail Veterans Support Organization (ATVSO)

    - Sports Events Coordinator for Letterman’s Club

    - Member of Math Team, DECA (which prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management), Blazer Ambassadors (who serve as mentors for their peers), National Honor Society (NHS), Student Council and more

  6. How Addison Trail has supported you: Addison Trail has expanded my horizons in numerous ways – from the classes they offer to the support they have given me every step of the way. I would be lying if I said I could do it without AT. This school has helped me become a better person, and I will forever carry the joy of being a Blazer.

  7. Your future plans: I plan to study Mechanical Engineering at Yale University and then further my studies in the aerospace field.  

Camila Rodriguez

  1. Title of your speech: “One Moment at a Time”

  2. Summary of your speech: In my speech, I acknowledge the excitement this class feels as graduation approaches. We all have such different, yet thrilling plans. However, it is important we remember to slow down and appreciate the moment. I learned this when I witnessed what no daughter should ever have to see: my mother having an active heart attack. I realized many of my own classmates have gone through grief-stricken moments like this, but have masked their pain as I did when I returned to school. My conclusion from this experience is we all must slow down and enjoy the present moment with each other. We all have someone or something to love.

  3. Lessons/advice you hope to share with your peers through your speech: Appreciate where you are and who you are with. In other words, don’t take your loved ones or beloved moments for granted. Make sure that even when life seems difficult, you are confident in yourself that you can overcome any obstacles. More importantly, embrace the challenges and the successes. It will all fly by. Slow down and soak in every feeling.

  4. What does it mean to you to be a speaker during the commencement ceremony and to represent your class? I am extremely honored to be speaking during the commencement ceremony. An admirable trait of Addison Trail is its diversity. Every classmate I’ve come across has unique qualities and aspirations. In a single classroom, I often find myself surrounded with Ivy League-bound scholars, aspiring trade school peers and future military members at the same time. So, being chosen to represent this wide range of students fills me with a combination of excitement, gratitude and humility. I look forward to seeing how my classmates succeed in their futures, following every dream I hear them say in the hallways today.

  5. Involvement at Addison Trail:

    - President of the Hispanic Organization for Leadership and Achievement (HOLA) Club

    - Orchestra

    - Tri-M (Modern Music Masters) Honor Society

    - Math Team (State qualifier my sophomore year and senior year)

    - National Honor Society (NHS)

    - Key Club

    - Pay It Forward (an event that helps incoming students understand what it means to “Pay It Forward” in high school and in life)

    - Superintendent Student Advisory Council

    - Principal Student Advisory Council

    - Three-sport athlete (track, tennis and cross-country)

  6. How Addison Trail has supported you: Addison Trail has provided support for every interest, problem or question I have had. The welcoming staff has provided me with more than just knowledge from their respective fields. They’ve created the space in which I, and many other students, need during the most confusing times. The inclusivity of the school has allowed me to meet a variety of students. The courses I’ve selected have led me to find my passions for my future career. Combining what I’ve learned in my extracurriculars and academics, I truly understand what I am capable of, and what I am intended to do in the future.

  7. Your future plans: I plan to attend University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to major in Biology and minor in Spanish, focusing on pre-dental advising. After earning my bachelor’s degree, I would like to go to dental school. My ultimate goal is to be a dentist and to some day provide free dental care and materials to impoverished children in Mexico.