One preschooler’s wild graduation dream is sparking joy for millions

When 5-year-old Collins walked across the stage at her preschool graduation in Tennessee, her parents expected the usual answer. Maybe “teacher.” Maybe “doctor.” Something sweet and safe.

Instead, she took the mic, smiled widely, and proudly declared:

“When I grow up, I want to be a wicked witch.”

The auditorium erupted in laughter. Her mom, Kelsey Grimm, who was recording the moment from the audience, froze. “I wanted to crawl under the seats at first,” she told Newsweek. “And felt like I needed to explain that we aren’t doing any witchcraft or anything weird at home. She just loves the Wicked movie.”

Related: Viral TikTok shows toddler melting hearts with train greetings

It turns out, Collins’ unexpected career path was inspired by her deep love for the musical-turned-movie. “She knows the entire soundtrack and loved the movie, becoming obsessed with Elphaba and Glinda,” Kelsey said. “This is where she got the idea to become a wicked witch.”

Grimm, a recording artist, had been excited to introduce her daughter to Wicked, a favorite of her own. But she didn’t expect it to shape Collins’ preschool graduation speech—or go viral. She posted the clip to Instagram with the caption:

“Dream big, baby girl. In other news, might be time to turn off the @wickedmovie at home.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kelsey Taylor Grimm (@thekelseygrimm)

The moment resonated immediately. Within a day, the video had over 27 million views and nearly a million likes. Parents in the comments celebrated Collins’ confidence and imagination—and shared their own kids’ off-the-wall graduation dreams.

• @sooooopsnakes – “My kid during pre-k grad said they wanted to be a robber and steal people’s money 🥴”
• @caelennoelle – “Last year, Reagan said, “a mermaid queen” after all the other girls said “mom” or “teacher” 🤣.’”
• @stephaniegoodfellow – “I wanted to be American…lol I thought it was a job everyone was proud to be 😂…….I’m Canadian.”

One commenter, @her_greythoughts, summed it up perfectly:

“Protect her. May this spark never fade away.”

That spark—the willingness to dream out loud, even if it’s unexpected—is part of what makes moments like these so powerful. Especially at an age where kids haven’t yet learned to filter their answers to fit what adults might expect.

Related: “This could have been an email”: Toddler’s priceless reaction to meeting baby sister goes viral

There’s also something deeply relatable in Grimm’s moment of panic: the instinct to explain or soften our kids’ quirks when they don’t land quite the way we hoped. But in a culture that sometimes values perfection over play, Collins’ clarity was a reminder that joy, imagination, and confidence can come in the most delightfully wicked forms.

As Grimm put it simply:

“Everyone loved her and thinks she’s hysterical.”

And maybe that’s all we really want as parents—not perfectly rehearsed lines, but moments of truth, even when they come with a cackle.