If you happened to be in the working-class, safe-haven Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood of Bridesburg on Apr. 25, you might have heard the shouts of sheer delight bellowing from Kaitlyn Cross’s house.  

The community is close-quartered and close-knit, adept at deciphering an exclamation of excitement from one of distress, so the commotion beckoned more anticipation than panic. Cross, a Holy Family University senior and first-generation college student, had just received notification that she had earned the title of Valedictorian for the Class of 2024. She is the first valedictorian ever formally recognized at the school. There was no containing her joy.

Cross, an English major who posted a perfect 4.0 grade point average, will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of addressing her classmates, faculty, family, and friends when she delivers a speech during the Commencement ceremony on May 18.  

Since the COVID pandemic sidelined her high school graduation ceremony from Franklin Towne Charter High School, and the ceremonies of so many of her peers, Cross feels compelled to draw on her writing talents to craft a memorable and moving speech that she will deliver with gratitude.

“My maternal grandmother used to tell me every time we drove past Holy Family University, ‘I wish I could have sent my kids there,'” Cross said. “I feel like I was destined to be here, and that this was meant to be. It means a lot to be a first-generation graduate, especially to my grandparents. It was amazing being able to share this honor with them and to show them that our family can achieve this type of success.”

With her family in her heart and her faith at the forefront, Cross will be intentional with her word choice and tone in her speech, as she is with all of her writing.

“It is important that, as writers, we constantly think about the ideas that are flowing through our brain and how we communicate them to an audience,” she said. “I hope that people say that I am very truthful and transparent in giving voice to people who don’t have one or who don’t feel comfortable presenting their own. My faith, also, is very important to me, and I think if I wasn’t invested in my faith, I would be a different person. It plays a central role in my life, and I think it is important to incorporate God in all you do. I constantly talk to God and express my gratitude. It is amazing what faith can do. If you ask for God’s direction and guidance, you will get it.”

Though her dream is to one day publish a book of non-fiction, Cross feels comfortable writing in a lot of genres. Through her internship with the HFU online newspaper Tri-Lite, she has tried her journalistic hand at sports writing (thanks to her passion for the Phillies), feature writing (she beautifully chronicled her grandmother’s courageous journey through breast cancer), and self-help (“Kickin’ It with Kait,” where she addresses students’ concerns and points them toward valuable campus and community resources). She has even ventured into podcasting, honing her interview skills through profiles of several of her cherished professors.

“When I was young, I would write on anything in the house, on paper, on books, even on the walls,” Cross said of her catalog of song lyrics, stories, and poems. “I think as I grew up and came out of my shell, I developed a fonder love for writing. Then I came to Holy Family and had the most amazing and wonderful faculty. Because the department is so small, we were able to build close relationships.  I loved my British Literature classes and my reative writing class, where we did a lot of workshops. That’s where I experienced a lot of firsts as a writer because we were able to get feedback from our peers about what could be improved upon and what was working in our writing. In particular, Sister Mary Joan Jacobs was just so amazing. The writing process can be very draining with all the revising and editing, but she made you feel inspired and motivated. It was so refreshing to be reinforced with such positivity. I wish all of the HFU students could take her class. She is such a wonderful mentor.”

Armed with confidence and validation, Cross is hopeful that her parting words on graduation day will be equally as impactful as those who have encouraged her to pursue her passion and destiny.

“It is such a privilege to be able to deliver this speech as the Holy Family University Valedictorian,’ Cross said. “I know it will be an emotional experience, but as I have learned from my time here, being an emotional writer, and touching people through words, is the greatest gift I have.”

Learn more at Holy Family University, a private institution in the Catholic tradition with campus locations in Philadelphia and Newtown.