This year’s student commencement speaker is Esther Weathers, a psychology major from Guam. An office assistant for the Physical Plant, an intern at the Intercultural Center and a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, Weathers has made the most of her time here at Whitman College. In her speech, tentatively titled “Never-ending Questions,” Weathers hopes to connect with her entire audience, not just the graduating seniors.

The Pioneer: Was it your idea to enter the contest for commencement speaker?

Weathers: In Kappa Alpha Theta, we have this thing where we go around and we share our experiences and we talk. After one of those, my sister came up to me and, because we’re all seniors and we had heard about the contest, she said to me, “You should really consider doing this. This is something you’re good at. You should try it.” I was also prompted by a few of my other friends. I said okay I’ll apply, and I didn’t think about it too much because if I thought about it, I would have to deal with all the pressure.

So I didn’t think, and I just wrote. I wrote what I would want to hear. When I speak, I think what’s important is a person feeling you’re genuine. When I wrote my speech I thought, “What do I want to hear if I’m sitting there and what do I want to say if I’m standing there?” That’s what I wrote. Yes, I was prompted by other people to do it, but writing it was all me at that point.

Pio: Are you nervous about speaking at all?

Weathers: My only fear when I give speeches is whether or not the words I’m saying will resonate with people. I don’t think of myself as an entertainer, but I do what I can.

Pio: How have you been handling being the chosen student speaker?

Weathers: I’m pretty humble about it. I don’t tell people. People either know, or they know me and then they find out and get mad at me because I didn’t tell them. I don’t think it’s something you need to brag about. It’s something I’m grateful to have.

Pioneer: What are your post-Whitman plans?

Weathers: For right now, I am looking to either stay in the Seattle area or in the Walla Walla area. I would like to do nonprofit work, working with children who have been abused at some point, be it domestic abuse or something else. I feel like my life has been planned out for me for the last four years, and I think I owe it to myself to go on an adventure and to do something that’s unplanned.