ENCINITAS — Ethan Fitzgerald wanted to use his commencement speech to soberly acknowledge the economic and geopolitical uncertainties facing his fellow George Washington University graduates while also offering hope.
He thanked the school president, board of trustees, his classmates and his mother at the beginning of his speech.
“I came across the country from San Diego — what I would say is the best city in the nation — to D.C., because I wanted to be close to where ideas meet action, a place where you don’t just study the world, you step into it, you feel it,” Fitzgerald said. “And over time, I realized something simple and true: life does not give you all the answers, moments do not wait until you feel ready, they show up when least expected and ask something of you.”
Then, as Mr. Fred Rogers advised, he looked to the helpers.
“The first person I ever saw meet the moment was my mom,” Fitzgerald said from the lectern. “When I was 5, my dad passed away from cancer. Overnight, the weight of two people’s responsibilities fell on one. While grieving, my mom kept going, showing up to work, showing up for me, holding everything together when our world had fallen apart.
“She did not get to feel ready, she did not get to pause, she met the moment anyway.”
Fitzgerald told The Coast News that his mom “was the one that helped make my world whole” during that difficult period of his life.
An Encinitas native and San Dieguito Academy alumnus, Fitzgerald graduated from GWU with a master’s degree in political management and bachelor’s degrees in political and organizational sciences.
He has interned for San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and U.S. Reps. Scott Peters and Mike Levin.
Fitzgerald said graduation was a “bittersweet” occasion because of the relationships he built and that his time in the nation’s capital “further developed my worldview.” However, he plans to return to his hometown to pursue a career in local politics.
“I love local politics,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re going through lots of challenges right now and I think now more than ever, we need to be leaning on community.”
He said he feels “pretty comfortable public speaking” and added that he likes to give everything he does “110%.” That was on display as he addressed tens of thousands gathered on the National Mall.
Fitzgerald said that delivering the commencement speech required three rounds of auditions. He honed the message and stories with his roommate over time before landing on the finished product.
“It’s easy to look around and feel overwhelmed by the chaos of politics, the cruelty of headlines — by the sheer weight of everything young people are being asked to carry right now,” he told his classmates. “Class of 2026, now is our time to meet this moment.”
