Valedictorian Charles Silver ’26 on building a better world by building community

In a year when so many commencement speakers are using their podiums to contend with the possibilities and ramifications of building up tech and artificial intelligence, Charles Silver ’26 would rather focus on the importance of building up actual human beings.

The 2026 Santa Clara University valedictorian and Leavey School of Business management major says he has a particular interest in community building because of his experience as a transfer student. “It definitely did not come right away. I wasn’t sure exactly where I fit,” Silver says. “It took the people around me to really help me feel like I’d found my place.”

He first found those people through Into the Wild, the club that gets students off campus and into nature through organized hikes, camping, and more. “The people were so welcoming and willing to take me under their wings,” Silver says.

He hopes to carry that spirit of camaraderie with him into a career in real estate investment and entrepreneurship. It’s something he learned at Santa Clara—to make a difference by “how you’re treating people, no matter what you’re doing for work.”

But first, Silver plans to move back home to Rhode Island following graduation to work in property management for a year before heading to Australia for a year of adventure. “I figured now’s the time in life to do something wild,” he says. Silver doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, to know what the already-in-flux job market will look like when he returns. All he knows is that he’s excited for the journey. And the people he’ll meet along the way.

You grew up in Rhode Island, attended one semester at University of Miami in Florida, then moved across the country as a transfer student. Why did you choose Santa Clara?

In high school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted out of college other than to go somewhere fun and get a great education. I have no bad feelings about my time at the University of Miami, but I realized pretty quickly that it wasn’t the place for me. I was feeling pretty lost when I spoke to a personal connection a few years ahead of me who was in a leadership position at Into the Wild at Santa Clara (Jules Holland ’24). I love being outside, and she convinced me that Santa Clara offered everything I wanted.

Even though I was confident in my decision to come here, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a challenge starting at a new school where everyone else in my year had already established themselves and made friends. I’m proud of the community I built, but it didn’t happen overnight. It took putting myself out there and joining groups like Into the Wild. It took having professors like Sarah Cabral in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship who sets such a great example of making people feel valued, of seeing their accomplishments, and celebrating them. And it took getting to know my classmates, which is easy to do thanks to Santa Clara’s small class size. Now I see familiar faces wherever I go on campus.

Why did you apply to be the Class of 2026 valedictorian?

I almost didn’t. I thought being a transfer student put me at a disadvantage. In my classes, I’m surrounded by brilliant people who are already making a huge impact on the world. I thought, “Why would I get this over one of them?” But my mom really encouraged me to try. And I started to get excited, thinking I might have a shot.

I think of it as a culmination of all the hard work I put in over my three years here. All the things I pushed myself to get involved in. In addition to holding leadership positions with Into the Wild, I was a member of the Leavey Scholars Program as well as the Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society and the Beta Gamma Sigma International Business Honor Society, and secured internships in property management. I also studied abroad and was an Ignatian fellow. This could be a celebration of all that.

What does a Jesuit education mean to you?

It goes back to that question Santa Clara likes to ask: What does the world need? We are pushed to not just talk about it in class but actually take action, now, outside the classroom, whether it be through volunteer work, helping a friend who’s sick, coding a new app, starting a new business, or just small, everyday acts of kindness. I think a Jesuit education means taking action to do good for others.

People often think they need to make a huge change or do big things to make a difference. But really, you just need to make other people feel thought about. How we treat others is how we make an impact on the world.

Your valedictorian address frequently references the concept of community. Why is the concept so central to your time at Santa Clara and your future plans?

People made space for me when I transferred to Santa Clara, and I think it’s my duty now to return the favor. I encourage everybody else to do the same. It’s easy to be in your own world, but there are so many people who don’t feel like they have a community, who feel alone or lonely. It’s the biggest gift you can give, to welcome someone in.

So far this commencement season, many featured speakers have reflected on the proliferation of artificial intelligence in higher education and the workplace. How are you thinking about your generation’s relationship with AI as you embark on your career paths?

Thinking about it in terms of business, there’s no reason for me to sit in front of a spreadsheet for hours if AI can do some of the repetitive, “boring” tasks for me. I don’t think I’m adding value to the world by spending my time that way. As AI takes over those tasks, I believe we then need to spend that time building relationships and community, and the things that will make a company or the world better. Artificial intelligence certainly has the potential to dehumanize society, so I say community and human connection are the perfect counter.