00:02:08,979 S1: Good evening everyone. My name is Emily McIntosh, and I have been honored to serve as treasurer for the past three years. When people used to ask me how big our class was, I'd hesitate a lot because saying the number out loud always felt a little awkward, like I was about to undersell something that meant a lot to me. Oftentimes I would debate exaggerating, saying that my class is 400 kids. But no. Instead I would say the truth. My class is only 108 kids, and then I'd kind of wait for the usual reaction like, oh, or wow, that's literally no one. Or even the blank stare, as if I was speaking a different language. An awkward silence for two minutes. But somewhere along the way, that hesitation stopped. because now when people ask me, I say it differently, I don't hesitate. I say it proudly. My class is 108 students because I realized something. 108 isn't small. It's personal. It means you don't just recognize faces. You know, people you know there laugh in the hallways. There are stories, their little quirks, and probably at least one embarrassing moment. It means you can't really hide, which definitely isn't good at times. And honestly, for me, at some point I realized I was seeing my twin brother not just at home, but literally in every hallway, every classroom, in the lunch line and in the cafeteria, which I don't know about you, Cameron, but that was way too much for me. But in the end, 108 also meant you were never invisible. And I think that's what made us who we are, because growing up in a class like this didn't just give us an education, it shaped us and it pushed us to show up, to talk to people and to be a part of something, even on days where we definitely didn't feel like it. It also taught us how to support each other constantly at games, to watch Savannah break through the entire team. Evie scoring another goal, Caden getting over 1000 points in basketball, or Cormac hitting another home run, and performances where Liam was as good as a Broadway star or Lucien's angelic voice moved to the entire crowd. And we can't forget Natalia's stunning dance performances and even Alex and Kevin shocking everyone with their piano skills at the talent show. All these moments, we showed up and we showed up for every moment in between, both big and small. We didn't just grow up next to each other. We grew up with each other and now here we are, just days away from graduation, and in only a few months time, we'll be stepping into something bigger than what we've always known. For the first time in a long time, we won't know everyone in the room. We won't automatically have our people right there besides us, and that's pretty scary. But here's the thing. 108 prepared us for that because we already know how to connect. We already know how to find our place, and we already know how to turn unfamiliar spaces into something that feels like home. That number 108 will always come with us, and the way that we treat people in the way that we show up and in the way that we support others, even when no one's watching. So, yes, maybe we're a small class, but we're also a strong, a resilient and connected one. After all, we are the Covid sixth graders, and as we move forward, I think we'll realize something that we didn't always see before. We were never just 108. We were 108 people who knew each other, who grew together and who showed up for one another. And that's not something that everyone says they have. And that I'd say that's something pretty powerful in itself. So to the class of 2026, Congratulations. And remember, no matter where we go, who we become, or how far we end up from this place, this 108 will always be ours in every lifetime. Thank you. 00:06:27,860 S1: Good evening everyone. My name is Samantha Evans, and I'm so honored to have served as our class secretary. When I was looking back on my high school memories and thinking about what to speak about today, my mind kept going back to one of my favorite high school activities a true circle. A true circle is pretty much exactly how it sounds. Someone asks a question and the person called upon has to answer it honestly. Whether it was with my field hockey or the lacrosse team, or with my close friends or people I was just beginning to know. The true circles bring everyone together. They help bring our sports teams closer, creating chemistry that carried over to the field and then made everyone become closer friends. As we always laugh the hardest and revealed the most about ourselves during these times. So today I want to invite you all into my true circle for one last time during high school. Be warned, this will involve will involve some confessions and apologies. First, as Luke Montano and Patrick G. Like to remind me during elementary school, it became a running joke that if anything went wrong, it was somehow my fault. It started in Mrs. Clark's fourth grade class. I think it actually might have been Patty Driscoll who started it, where everyone would dramatically yell, Samantha! I don't know if I've ever admitted this, but even though I laughed along every time I heard my name get called out, I was secretly embarrassed by the attention suddenly being turned to me. Even in fifth grade, after the class was split up, I could still hear those calls coming from Mr. Chuckles room next door, even though I wasn't even in the room. Moving on to high school, I actually have to take responsibility for some classroom disruptions. I owe an apology to Miss Forges because as those of you who were in her history classes with me know, I may have tried to derail the class every day for two years straight. Natalia Yan and I would ask about anything from the music on the daily check ins to bread to bikes. And to be honest with sports, I don't actually know that much about music, but our random conversations were always the best parts of my day. Mr. Kennett told me and Evie Barnard that our junior year D-Block history class was his favorite and best class ever. I'm joking. He didn't actually say that, but he basically won't deny it. And we all know it's true. Whether Margaret Grace Morris was telling him about her sports games or Nick Stein was creating a march madness bracket for her class, where we were all chanting for another round of Mafia. We were doing anything but history during D-Block. And I'll admit. Mr.. Your suspicion was correct. It wasn't a coincidence. Me, Ivy, Margo and Maddie Graber were sitting next to each other every day. We did, in fact, move the assigned seating numbers. This class really showed me how much fun learning can be. And while I'm at it, I'm sorry, Mr. Hickey, but when I put every one of my original poems this year was, in fact, as he likes to call it, a power lock special. Speaking of Mr. Hickey, I would say that his class was the most challenging yet most rewarding experience for me. In the beginning, it always felt like following Emily Logan's perfectly satisfying read, lads was a lost cause for me. However, after months of laughing through my uncomfortableness along with the support from Claire Adler's encouraging smile and Liam Jeannie's approving nods, I was finally confident and learned so much. Much like when we have held a true circle amongst my friends or teammates. These truths aren't really earth shattering, but are mostly silly stories that we have revealed. Somehow, though, these stories have turned into memories that have brought us together. They're the little things that somehow became important because of the personal connections we have made to them. As we leave high school behind. I think what I'm going to miss most about our class is how close we have all become. I invite you all to share your own truths with each other before we all go off on our separate ways. Through the past four years, we became each other's people. It's important we don't take that for granted. Our small, close community is a special one. When you can't find everywhere and one that we have built on honesty and support. These years together have taught me that being true to yourself and truthful to others is how the best relationships are built. I've had the most amazing high school experience, and while there are so many memories we have all shared, the experience still feels uniquely my own. I'm beyond grateful to be standing here with you all today. Reflecting on some of my favorite moments. As we move forward, I hope you all continue to be truthful with yourselves and with each other because although it may not always be the easiest path, it is what really defines us. Thank you and congratulations. Class of 2026. 00:10:55,929 S2: Good evening. My name is Natalia Youn, and it has been my pleasure serving as vice president of the class of 2026. As I prepared for tonight, I spent some time reflecting. 00:11:07,730 S1: On our. 00:11:08,649 S2: Past four years here at Hamilton Wenham Regional High School, and I realized something each day seemed almost identical. Maybe you are the type of person to wake up super early and walk into school with a Starbucks, Duncan or Honeycomb cup in hand. Or maybe you were like me, rolling out of bed and rushing through the front doors, just feeding the 740 bell. As the days went on. Life looks similar. Similar for all of us. The bell would ring, would pick up our stuff and head to the next class. Another bell, another classroom. The rhythm was repetitive and at times monotonous. But most importantly, the rings we heard were steady. Day after day, year after year. Those bells reminded us to keep moving forward. But what happened after that last bell at 220? Where did we go? What did we do? That's when our stories began to look different. Some of us would head to the fields, courts or gym for practice and games. Others spent hours upon hours in the music room or auditorium rehearsing for performances. Some found themselves in the art rooms, letting the paintbrush or pottery reel bring their imagination to life. For me, I spent my nights training at a dance studio on a team not affiliated with Hamilton Windham Regional High School. I never have and never will understand what it feels like to socialize in the locker rooms or build sets for the musical, instead staring into the studio mirrors, repeating the same movements over and over again, and dancing alongside teammates from different towns feels familiar to me. Although I have been training competitively in my whole life, I remember entering high school afraid that dedicating most of my time to the sport I was most passionate about would isolate me from my classmates with pursuing my own path. Me and I would miss out on the connections and experiences everyone else seemed to share. I even began to question if I should join a school sport which realistically, would never fit into my schedule and honestly would have been difficult considering youth soccer was the last time I played on a field, so I knew I had to find another way to become part of Hamilton Williams community. I found a different perspective. I became a spectator. I showed up to sports games, trying my absolute best to understand the rules. I watched the school musicals and Kings of the beach concerts and walking through the hallways. I admired the work of our classes, talented artists. And every time I showed up, no matter the place or time, there was always a familiar face from the class of 2026. It didn't matter if it was one face or a bleacher full of them. Someone was always there. And I think that's what makes our class so special. We all spent these four years becoming different versions of ourselves. We pursued different passions to discover different interests and found joy in different places. Although we all paved our own unique paths, our differences never created distance between us. Instead, they made our communities stronger. We learned how to show up, support, and celebrate one another. So tonight, as we reflect on where we've been and look forward to where we're going, I hope you, my fellow graduates, can recognize the people you have become and the ways you've shaped our class. The next chapter of our life feels uncertain. And if I'm being honest, that uncertainty strikes me with fear. However, my mindset now is very different from the one I had entering freshman year. Hamilton, Wenham and all of you taught me something that I'll carry long after graduation. It is okay to embrace the things that make you happiest. Even if your path looks different from the people around you, continue to follow your passions. Whether they become your major, your career, or simply something that makes you feel like yourself. Because when you choose the things that matter to you most, you find your people. We found them here. And while new chapters, new places, and new people are waiting for us, there is something comforting in knowing that no matter how far life takes us, we will always have this class. Hamilton Winans, class of 2026 to come back to. For years, Belles told us where to go and reminded us to keep moving forward. Tonight for the first time, there isn't a bell waiting for us. Now we get to decide where we go next. Thank you for the friendship, support and for making these four years something I will never forget. Congratulations. Class of 2026. 00:16:17,000 S2: Good evening everyone. My name is Lucien Rivette, and I am so honored to have been chosen as tonight's keynote speaker. My freshman year, I lost my water bottle. It was a blue 24 ounce Hydro Flask covered in scratches and dents with no name written on the bottom. It disappeared somewhere between a block and the JV soccer practice field, never to be seen again. This is definitely not the only one of my lost items that the nooks and crannies of Hamilton Windham High School sweatshirts, a few lunchboxes, countless hair elastics. My phone even got stolen at a Six Flags trip and spent over a year at the Springfield Police station. At one point, when picking me up for a doctor's appointment, I entered the lobby to see my mom rifling through the lost and found, searching for some long forgotten item that came to school in my backpack, but mysteriously did not return at the end of the day. But while I spent high school losing insignificant, insignificant objects in the locker rooms or hallways, I was also starting to experience what it felt like for more substantial things to come and go. Not only things I could replace, but pieces of myself shifting without me really noticing how I showed up in different spaces, what I chose to share, and what I kept to myself. I learned early on that I struggled with keeping my things in one place, but I began to wonder if this applied to my identity as well. As someone who has always had diverse passions, I had a hard time when I started high school because who I was seemed to depend on the environment around me. Who I was at home felt entirely different from how I acted at school, and who I was with. My friends felt like it depended on the group that I was with. I believed who I was in chorus or harmony would never align with the person I was during field hockey or lacrosse, and that the only way to be accepted in each face was to adapt and change based on the expectations of those around me. And I think we've all felt this way at one point, morphing ourselves into our environments instead of letting the world adapt to us. My mom has always told me you are who you surround yourself with. While this race has been important to me when choosing my friendships throughout high school, when choosing my friendship, high school turned this piece of advice into a self-imposed pressure. I felt obliged to pick one passion and a set group of people to align myself with. And with that came the question who I want to be. And truthfully, I had no idea. I felt caught between all of my colliding communities, treating that question like there could only be one correct answer. Like I was supposed to choose one version and devote myself to that identity completely. There could only be one passion, one group, and one way of being. For a long time, I believed that growing up meant narrowing yourself down, but finally lifted. The pressure wasn't a decision. It was the people around me. The people that changed me the most were the ones who refused to make me choose. My friendships have taught me how to live authentically by not blending into environments, but bringing my full self to spaces, unapologetically finding people who cared about the things that I loved simply because I loved them. People who showed up with curiosity, encouragement, and support rather than judgement. Their acceptance helped me reconnect with parts of myself I had once made smaller. My favorite, favorite example of this is when my closest friends, who for the most part are not huge fans of musicals. I showed up to watch me and cheer for me loudly when I performed performed for the first time in five years, I could not have asked for more supportive people to stand by me, and I think this speaks to the kinds of people our grade has grown into. Four years ago, I never would have thought I'd feel comfortable enough to share my passions with my classmates. Now I look around and see individuals with diverse talents and passions showing up for each other. A support system like the one our classes found is incredibly hard to find. I believe it has set an example for the kinds of communities we should strive to foster in our futures. As we head toward graduation day, we rightly focus on all that we have gained over the last four years. However, it is simultaneously true that somewhere along the way we've all lost things confidence, certainty, versions of ourselves. Definitely water bottles. But we've also found just as much in the people and places that shaped us. For so long, I treated every environment like a test of who I should be. But we were never meant to be stagnant. And there is nothing unfinished about the fact that we are still in the process of becoming who we are. Getting stuck in that mindset caused me to miss what was happening right in front of me. Each community I belonged to was shaping me. Everyone I met was supporting me, and everything new I tried was helping me grow. We are always changing and evolving, gaining knowledge and experience throughout our lives. Being a part of multiple communities does not indicate that a decision needs to be made, but instead it is something we should embrace and if anything, strive for. And without all of these versions of myself, I wouldn't be who I am. A mosaic of the most wonderful people and most importantly, experiences my parents and grandparents who gave me my strong sense of morals and constant support. My little sisters who let me laugh and play like a little kid again. My peers and classmates in the performing arts always urging me to put myself out there and share my voice, and my teammates pushing me to be the best version of myself. These communities may have initially brought out vastly different versions of me, but over time they shaped who I am, and I am proud to bring a piece of each of them everywhere I go. They have all uniquely prepared me for the years to come. So if we really are who we surround ourselves with, then I hope we keep choosing more. More people, more experiences, more versions of ourselves. Because the more diversity that we surround ourselves with, the more that we gain. When someone tells you you are who you surround yourself with. Never think of it as a pressure, but instead as a privilege and an opportunity to fulfill your full potential. Unlike lost objects in high school hallways, I believe our passions and identities will follow us wherever we go. The past four years have never been about choosing one version of who we are, but instead being shaped by those around us. And as we leave, I don't think the goal is to become completely different, but to keep showing up for the activities and people that we care about. Taking with us what we have already taught each other. We are the sum of everything and everyone we have ever loved and every place we have belonged. And that is something that we carry forever. And finally, if anyone finds a blue Hydro Flask lying around, you can keep it. I found what I needed. Thank you. 00:22:13,029 S3: Oh my love. It's changing every day. Every possible way. 00:22:27,630 S3: Oh, Though my dream never quieted, 00:22:34,900 S3: never quite as it seemed. 00:22:41,259 S3: I know I felt like this before. Now I'm feeling it even more because it came from you. 00:22:55,980 S3: Then I open up and see the person calling you in. 00:23:04,019 S3: A different way to be. 00:23:18,339 S3: Heard. 00:23:21,059 S3: Now. 00:23:25,539 S3: I You want 00:23:29,250 S3: an impossible to ignore. Impossible to ignore. 00:23:40,529 S3: There comes true. Impossible not to do. Impossible not to do. 00:23:54,369 S3: Now I tell you. Oh, baby, you have my heart. So don't hurt me. What I could find. 00:24:08,930 S3: Totally amazing I'm so understanding and so fine. You're everything to me. 00:24:24,490 S3: Oh, My life is changing every day in every possible way. 00:24:39,079 S3: In all my dreams. It's never quite as it seems. Cause you're a dream to me. Dream to me. 00:24:59,440 S3: Yum yum. 00:25:10,160 S3: Yum. 00:25:13,839 S3: Yum yum. 00:25:27,950 S4: Good evening students, families, colleagues and most importantly, the class of 2026. When I found out I was chosen to speak tonight, I felt incredibly honored. Truly. Thank you. It really means more than I could possibly put into words. I've had the unique privilege of working with almost all of you in some way. Some of you for four years. Some of you are for shorter stretches, but enough to see who you are when things are easy, but more importantly, when things are hard. And that's what I'll remember most about this class. I've seen you figure out things when you were completely stuck. I've seen you advocate for yourselves even when I've felt uncomfortable. I've seen you show up on days when showing up was the hardest thing you could do. And yes, I've seen you tried to convince me that assignment was definitely submitted when I totally knew it was not there. But even then, in those moments, there was growth. One of those things people don't understand about learning real learning is that it's just not about grades or test scores. It's about persistence. It's about learning how to fail, adjust, and try again. It's about asking for help. It's about realizing that needing support doesn't make you weak. It makes you human. In this class, you're really good at being human as well as compassionate. I remember one day my daughter couldn't go on her eighth grade trip to D.C., and she came to school for the day just for something to do. Hayley, Samantha and Natalia. Kayla and Lucy took her under their wing. It brought her to the lunch table and made her feel like she was comfortable. They've never, ever met her before and just brought her up and just made her feel like part of the truth. It was absolutely wonderful. Thank you. I remember, and I'm sure all of you will remember this during the holiday week When I decided to play dodgeball. Yeah, it was quite a mistake. Let me tell you. I threw a ball at Grayson. Let them dead in the eyes. Had them locked in. Threw it as hard as I could. Landed ten feet in front of him. Yes. I started to backpedal. He threw a ball at me, I reached out. Glanced at it, grabbed it just a little bit and fell straight on my back. So I got up, shook it off, and just kind of said. It is what it is, right? But I walked out. Every single senior that came up to me that day. The first thing they said was, are you okay? Then they laughed at me, but at least they said, are you okay first? And you guys showed compassion like you always do. 00:28:13,410 S4: I look back at some of these days and smile. Like when Andreas would just walk up to my room and say, look at this guy, and then just walk away. All right. I remember Emma freshman year when she thought it was a good idea to climb through a chair, and they get instantly stuck. I mean, this chair was this big, but she eventually made it out, and she is here tonight. Congratulations. Emma. Thank you. Um, being able to tell what block it was sophomore year about how many times Liz and Matt would left by my classroom. Yes, they did quite a LARPing sophomore year, but they toned that down, and they are here tonight. Congratulations as well. The countless times I would hear from, I would say 98% of you sigs. Can you please print this for me? And you know, you've all asked me that. Pretty much. 00:29:10,759 S4: Huh? You've also learned how to support each other. You've always been there for each other and have grown as the years have gone by. You've learned how to laugh at yourselves. You've learned that success doesn't look the same for everyone. For some of you, success with straight A's. For some of you, it was taking the class that you didn't think you would pass. So you really just challenge yourself. Some of you fail is finding your voice coming from freshmen to seniors. It's amazing how you've changed. And then for summer, some of you, just making it here tonight was part of it. And every single one of those success matters. I also want to acknowledge something important. High school is not easy. We've all been there. There are pressures, expectations, challenges, some that people see and some that people just don't. But what stands out about this group is you just kept going even when things were uncertain, even when things didn't go as planned, you kept going. And along the way, you left your mark. You left it in the classrooms where your personalities made ordinary days better and Brighten all of our days. You left in the hallways filled with inside jokes, last minute studying, and probably a few questionable decisions. And you've definitely left it in my room. Whether it was through your questions, your story, your stories, or the snacks you insisted that I share with you. And as you move on from here, I want to leave a few things for you to hold on to. First, keep advocating for yourself. You've practiced a skill. You've learned distance freshman. It'll take you further than you realize. Ask questions. Speak up. Take space. Second, be patient with yourself. Not everything is going to come easy. And that's okay. Growth rarely does. Third, remember that success is not a straight line. It's messy, it's unpredictable. And sometimes it looks like nothing that you planned. But that doesn't mean you're off track. It just means you're learning. And finally, don't forget where you came from. Not just this building, but the people who supported you, the challenges that shaped you, and the version of yourself that kept pushing forward to get you there. Because that version of you, that's the one that's going to carry you through whatever comes next. Class of 2026. I'm incredibly proud of you. Not just for what you accomplished, but who you become as people. It's very impressive. And while I'm excited for everything ahead of you, I do have one final request. Please. Pretty please. I've asked you this a million times. For all your teachers, your future professors, your bosses. Check your email every day, please. With that. Congratulations. Thank you so much. 00:34:29,099 S2: Good evening graduates, families, faculty and friends. 00:34:32,460 S1: My name is Evy Bernard. 00:34:33,619 S2: And I am proud to have served as the class of 2026 Class President. If anyone actually reads the senior quotes in the yearbook, you may have seen mine. Pressure is a privilege and champions a just by tennis legend Billie Jean King. That quote has resonated with me for years. The word pressure usually has such a negative connotation. We think of pressure as expectations from parents, harsh coaches or teachers and the nervous pit in your stomach before something important. But I've realized that pressure can actually be one of the best things that happens to us when it comes from within. If you put yourself in situations where there is pressure, you are also putting yourself in situations where you can grow, learn and succeed. Standing up here right now, I feel pressure. I'm nervous about tripping over my words. Nervous about giving this class the best candlelight speech I can give. But that pressure exists because this moment matters to me. The important thing is learning the difference between external pressure and internal pressure. External pressure is exhausting when you let it define you. But internal pressure, the pressure that comes from your own goals, your own passions, and your own standards is what pushes you to become the best version of yourself. Every single person here, sitting here today has felt that kind of pressure for Emily Logan. Maybe it was singing her heart out on stage for Alex Madigan. Maybe it was your perfecting your three point shot for Taylor apt. It was leading an incredible Spirit Week painting for Josh to Rigo was competing at Deca nationals for our football team. It was battling Ipswich every Thanksgiving for AP students. It was the pressure of those final exams. I understand that in the heat of the moment, the pressure can feel overwhelming, but I try to remind myself that it is a privilege to be in that position. The very fact that we feel pressure often means we are given the opportunity to challenge ourselves in the first place. And for everyone here tonight, pressure has shown up in different ways throughout these past four years as we enter into this next chapter of our lives. I challenge all of you not to run away from the pressure. Don't let the expectations of everyone else consume you. Instead, seek out the kind of pressure that comes from your own ambitions. Set goals that may intimidate you. Put yourself in situations where success is not guaranteed, because the moments that challenge us the most are usually the moments that shape us the most. You will never feel more proud than when you accomplish something you once doubted you could do, not because someone else expected it from you, but because you proved it to yourselves. So maybe we should rethink the way we view pressure. It is a privilege to stand up here today. It is a privilege to graduate from Hamilton Regional High School, and it is a privilege to be surrounded by people who care enough about us, to support us through every success and every setback. So wherever life takes you next, I hope you continue to put yourself in situations that challenge you. Embrace the nerves. Embrace the uncertainty. Embrace the pressure. Because pressure is a privilege.