A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of speaking at the Destination Imagination graduation ceremony during Global Finals 2026 in Kansas City. I was asked to speak from the perspective of a DI alum, and was very grateful for the opportunity. Here are my remarks from the ceremony:

Congratulations, graduates. It is an honor to be with you as we celebrate the achievements that brought you to today.

My name is Kelsey Celek. I am DI’s Director of Affiliate Engagement and Outreach – but more importantly, I am a proud DI alum. 

Getting to attend Global Finals as an alumni is a lovely experience for a lot of reasons, but personally – it’s a chance for me to look back fondly on a special time. Each time I’m here, I find myself wishing I had a time machine to tell my younger self about the good things that are coming because I was involved with Destination Imagination.

But since I don’t have that time machine, I’m hoping each of you can relay the message for me. If Teenage Kelsey was among you today, here’s what I would want her to know:

Number one: Stay weird. It takes a special kind of bravery to share what you are excited about. It takes strength to choose to try something new, even if you might fail. As adults, you will encounter plenty of situations where the world tries to tell you that curiosity and joy are bad things – but that’s just not true. You’re DI kids; you understand that any challenge has many possible solutions, and you know how to explore them. Never forget that.

The next thing to remember is the value of finding your team. As you pursue careers, families, or any type of relationship, that means you have infinite opportunities to collaborate. There will be successes, failures, and restarts with each one, and that’s a gift. Those collaborations will show you how you are growing and learning, show you who you trust and care for. You’re here as DI graduates because you have proven you know how to do that – so hold onto that skill. No one achieves anything great alone – so when you find your team, get straight to work.

These skills you hold are going to serve you well in whatever next chapters you choose. And, not-so-selfishly, I hope you will also choose to share those skills with us as DI alumni. The Alumni Council is here tonight – the folks in the Hawaiian shirts – to fill you in on opportunities to give back to the organization. Even if you can’t volunteer right away, you know where to find us – and we’d be very grateful to have skilled alums like you among our ranks.

While there’s no question that DI would benefit from having you volunteer – let me be the first to tell you what an enriching experience it is to return as an alumni to watch the formation of the next generation of leaders, innovators, and creative minds – like the ones we are honoring here tonight.

Graduates, please rise and turn your tassels from right to left.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026 – we can’t wait to see what you do next!