Donned in a button-down shirt and colorful capris pants, Ta Kasitipradit leans back on the sofa in Kerrey Hall. Noticing the calming silence of the residences’ lounge, he reminisced his life before coming to The New School. “I was a monk,” he said.
Ta Kasitipradit has been chosen to be Class of 2019’s student speaker for this year’s commencement ceremony, which will be held on Friday, May 17, in the Arthur Ashe Stadium located at Queens. “I still can’t process that it’s happening now,” he said. Kasitipradit will be delivering an eight minute speech that will summarize what life has been like at The New School. “I think throughout my whole time at The New School, looking back on it, I think my involvement and talking to people have been paying off for sure.”
Before choosing to go into Parsons Communication Design program, Kasitipradit had a “fabulous time” living with his grandparents in Thailand before moving to Toronto at grade 11 and eventually the United States. “I was a monk when I was in grade 10,” he said, “[But] my monkhood was not long; it was about a month.” According to Kasitipradit, in Thailand, it is traditional for a grandchild to become a monk when one of their grandparents passed away. “It’s this idea that if I’m a monk for her, then she could hold my yellow rope and I could bring her to the Heaven’s Gate and send her off.”
Kasitipradit is no stranger to the teachings of Buddhism and has always implemented meditation as part of his daily life. “Some people object to structure and hated it. But I think I find beauty in thriving amongst the structures, the grid system, dancing in the rain.”
After spending his last two years of high school in Toronto, Kasitipradit started college at the California College of the Arts before transferring to The New School. His work varies from digital portraits made by using his own thumbprints to vibrant food menus that intertwine western cuisine with Thai delicacies.
“I was so grateful for my education [at CCA], because it opened up my perspective that I wanted more. I don’t just want to do design and graphic. I felt like it’s so important to put your work in context of other people’s work. And that’s why I thought The New School was such a perfect fit. Because then you can be amongst all these people with liberal arts majors and different disciplines.”
Kasitipradit takes pride in collaborating with other people. He can be found walking through the halls of the University Center to the lobby of Kerrey Hall, where he is a resident advisor. “Ta’s presence at the New School has made it brighter and I think the way people respond to him is evidence of this,” said Eric Lish, a friend of Kasitipradit, “In my own experience, Ta is an exemplary friend and the impact of his work is a lesson in the power of self expression.”
Labeling himself as a “graphic design romantic,” Kasitipradit is known among his friends for his uplifting energy and positive outlook in life. His uses his skills as a graphic designer to express his personality through art. “I really wanted my work to focus on cultivating this beautiful place where people feel inspired,” he said, “[I want them to] feel a little more brave to dream.”
Fellow classmate, Nicole Lee, admires Kasitipradit’s nurturing character and love for graphic design. “It has and will always be a blessing to see how passionately he loves and courageously he leads. I hope that others may one day experience Ta’s dynamic presence and share his joyful perspective on life,” she said.
In order to become commencement student speaker, Kasitipradit had to send in an application and go through several rounds of auditions. “So they sent out an email to every students who have GPA of 3.7 or higher. Got the email, and then I express my interest,” he said. Kasitipradit’s audition process involved sending a pitch, preparing a two-minute speech and presenting it to the judges. “The next several weeks after, they get back to you if you make it through to the semi final. And then after that it’s semi-semi final, top five, then they send your video and your name out to everyone in who’s graduating to vote. And then its top three. And for the top three, it’s a one-on-one interview.” When asked how many people he believed applied to be student speaker, Kasitipradit couldn’t give an exact number but only said that the “the [audition] room was just packed”.
Kasitipradit may be popular in The New School community, but he certainly had his challenges during the early years of his college career. “I was spending so much time alone, I felt like I was missing something.” Eventually, Kasitipradit decided to join The New School’s leadership retreat to seek what he felt was missing in his life. “[The retreat] was so influential to me that I decided that I wanted to replicate that feeling of involvement of that community that I felt in that campsite, at The New School. So when I came back from the camp, I did that to apply to be an RA, I start getting involved with clubs. And I think that birthed the Ta that you’re talking to now.”
Rafael Gonzalez, Student Leadership and Involvement Assistant Director who was in charge of the 2017 and 2018 leadership retreats, said, “You can be speaking to Ta in a crowded room and feel as though it’s only the two of you because of how focused and present he is with you in that moment. His contributions to the 2017 and 2018 Leadership Retreats were so vital that I can confidently say his impact on students and staff alike will be remembered for years to come. Ta will be leaving a legacy at this university that can only be dreamed of.”
Because of his strong sense of self-expression, when asked if he’s proud of who he is, Kasitipradit answered, “There were moments in grade 5 when my mom would take me to Canada with her. My mom went to U of T, University of Toronto. And so she dragged me with her for a little bit. And I was so anxious about telling people that My name is Ta. Because then they’ll say stuff like, ‘Are you from Thailand? Are you from Taiwan? Do you speak Taiwanese?’ And it’s like those classic grade 5 jokes. So insecure. So I went by Patrick, for the longest time.”
When asked what his plans would be after graduation, Kasitipradit didn’t have all the details in place. “I am still in this mindset where I haven’t graduated yet. Because I’m [part of] the commencement, I have such big plans for this speech and hoping that it doesn’t flop.” One thing that he is sure of doing is to one day move back to Thailand and join the military. “I actually have to go back home eventually [to join] the military,” he said. “So that’s three more years. When I’m 24.”
For his commencement speech, Kasitipradit will ask everyone to meditate for one minute. “‘Can you feel the skin under your gown? Can you feel like the feet touching the floor?’ Because I think oftentimes, we rush through our experience so much without even enjoying the moment,” he said. “But I think at that commencement, I really want everyone to be vulnerable and closer and actually take that moment in.”
Jihan Basyah is the social media editor for the New School Free Press. She started off as a reporter covering fashion, arts, and culture. Currently, Jihan is studying Journalism + Design, with a minor in Fashion Communication, at The New School.
