00:00:00,200	S1:
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Hamilton Wenham Regional Class of 2026.

00:02:34,060	S1:
Good morning parents, families, faculty administration, school Committee members, Superintendent Tracy, and most importantly, the incredible class of 2026.

00:02:55,050	S1:
When I was thinking about what to say to you today. One word kept coming back. Balance in high school. We talk a lot about balance in the literal sense, like trying to balance academic sports, jobs and a social life. But this class took balance to an entirely different level. You proved that you can balance tradition with innovation. You were, after all, the first class ever to share a junior senior prom, and the very first to take the field and play on our new turf fields. Finding balance isn't always easy. It requires an incredible amount of leadership. I want to personally thank your outstanding class officers Evie Barnard, Natalia Young, Samantha Nevins, Emily McIntosh, Cameron. McIntosh, Maddie Graber, Grayson Minnick, and Kevin Spoon. They spent years.

00:04:06,430	S1:
They spent years mastering the ultimate balancing act. Listening to all of your opinions while keeping us moving forward. We saw that exact dynamic play out during this year's great senior class t shirt debate. We had Samantha, who was very opinionated about the specific style and feel of the fabric. On the other end of the spectrum, we had Kevin calmly saying, just get Cotton and Grayson chiming in with who cares? That is the definition of balance right there. True balance is also about knowing when to work hard and when to give your all for school spirit. Think back to our spirit weeks where Taylor Apte, Luke Chapdelaine, Patrick Driscoll and Danielle Murray poured their hearts into designing those incredible Spirit Week boards. They brought to life everything from the Fighting Freshman, The Lorax to Winter Wonderland in Japan. Our arts department provided another picture perfect, perfect picture of balance. We watched Penelope Bellucci, Liam Gainey, and Emily Logan command the stage in Chicago, supported flawlessly by the quiet, tireless work of our production crew Alida Carr, Megan Logan, Catherine Walsh, Claire Adler and Ian Swanson. Then there's Emmet Bouchard, who balanced his role as artist in residence, making clay sculptures to the entire faculty and dedicating countless hours to to designing our class mural. Finally, Maurice Siebert showed us balance of a different kind, pairing the delicate grace of her traditional tie dance with the grit required to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. Sometimes balance means stepping entirely out of your comfort zone. It's Liam Gainey loudly lamenting that he didn't want to go on the class hike because he didn't have the proper footwear, but going anyway, loving it and bringing a massive smile to everyone's face. It's Kira Stein balancing concussion recovery with an intense, competitive drive, spinning around on a scooter board during Spirit Week playing Hungry Hungry Hippos. Sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Stein, it's about balancing individual achievements with collective joy. We watched Jonas Dorigo take the stage at the Deca International Conference, placing in the top 20 students of the world. We cheered on Savannah. Goran, who balanced curating what might possibly be the most perfect playlist of music during her B block shop class. And then a massive victory in this year's amphibious vehicle races. It's about knowing when to step up like Ray Manuel taking over cafeteria karaoke. Joe Parrington absolutely crushing it as the homecoming DJ, and Paul Junge stepping up to belt out The Greatest Showman. It's Isabel Westcott bravely being among the very first group of students to hit the dance floor at our historic first junior senior prom. Showing everyone else it was okay to dance.

00:07:46,189	S1:
Perhaps the greatest lesson in balance came this year when we faced our toughest challenge yet giving up our phones. It was met with utter dismay. But look what happened when we lost the digital world. We found each other. Cafeteria conversations became abundant. We actually talked in person. And at one particular lunch table. You could find Alex King, Red Herzog, Jonathan Callback, Robert Hambleton and Alan Pang locked in fierce high stakes battles of Uno. There are simply too many accomplishments to list today. I could truly say something about each and every one of you, but I promised Mr. Mengoni I would stick to my time limit. This class didn't just participate. You excelled at Deca, history fair, Hosa, sports band, Choir, theater and countless clubs. Yet you balanced all that personal success by giving back. You came together when our community needed you. Class of 2026. As you step out into the world, life is going to need a lot of you. It will ask you to balance ambition with rest, serious work with light hearted play, and looking forward to the future while staying present in the moment. If your time in high school has proven anything, it's that you already know how to hold that balance perfectly. Keep smiling through the hikes, keep dancing on the empty dance floors and never stop talking to one another.

Congratulations. 00:09:42,529	S2:
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to graduation. My name is Brian Mengoni, and I have the great honor of serving as principal of Hamilton, one of regional high school. This particular class holds an incredibly special place in my heart, having known many of these students since their elementary school days, watching their journey culminate here today with them ready to take their next step into the world is nothing short of amazing. Today we gather not just to witness the graduation, but to celebrate everything the class of 2026 has accomplished as a family. Together, they have supported, challenged and helped one another grow into exceptional young adults. I could not be prouder of the resilience, character and spirit they have shown. Within this outstanding group are individuals who have truly gone above and beyond. It is now my absolute pleasure to introduce the first of these student leaders. Our class of 2026 salutatorian, Isla Finn.

00:10:58,269	S3:
Good morning everyone. My name is Isla Finn, and I'm so honored to have the privilege of speaking today. I first want to express my deepest gratitude to the family, friends, teachers, and mentors of my fellow graduates. I speak on behalf of the class of 2026. In saying we wouldn't have made it to this momentous occasion without you all, so thank you. As some of you may know, I've been doing gymnastics for over ten years. Growing up in the sport of gymnastics taught me to view life as a numbers game. That success came from doing more. If conditioning didn't make you saw the next day, you weren't working hard enough. If you sat down during practice, you were lazy if you took days off. You weren't dedicated, and if you didn't put in the extra work outside of the 20 hours in the gym each week, you didn't want it badly enough. These were the reminders I carried with myself daily. Every day the goal was to keep busy no matter what. Whether that was doing extra drills or visualizing in-between turns, or finding extra conditioning in order to maximize every second of those daily four hours in the gym. In this sport, there is always something to be done. Resting started to feel like wasted time. Now, gymnastics has been one of the greatest gifts throughout my childhood and adolescence, also teaching me strength, resilience, bravery and discipline. But upon reflecting on some of the ideals I learned to value from it, I began to draw parallels outside of the sport. High school has felt like a numbers game at times too, especially as many of us went through the college admissions process this year. It was easy to get caught up in the game of who's done the most Often we're praised for taking the most apps and honors classes, having the most extracurriculars, the best GPA, the highest SAT score, and being involved in as many clubs, sports and opportunities as possible. But at some point, I learned to equate my value with how much I could produce. That being busy meant being successful, and that if I was capable of doing more, I should always be doing more. If I wasn't achieving something, was I doing enough? Yet I've learned that this is often where progress actually stalls. We're doing too much leads to diminished returns. I realized that the obsession with constant productivity of this high achievement culture doesn't align long term with the results it demands. Eventually, this mindset will almost always yield counterproductive results. Of course, we should have ambition, discipline, and big goals. But as we move into this next chapter of our lives, I think what matters just as much is learning how to sustain ourselves, learning where the line between dedication and depletion lies, where effort becomes wasted energy, and where productivity drops into burnout. So as we leave high school and enter the real world, a world that will seem to constantly ask us to do more, achieve more, and become more, I hope we can also remember to be human. Something I am still working on reminding myself to be daily. To me, this means resting without guilt, asking for help when needed, and leaving room for joy, connection, fear and failure and understanding that being busy doesn't always equal productivity. Just because we could be doing more doesn't mean we aren't already doing enough. Regardless of where life takes each of us after today, I have confidence that we are all capable of not only achieving great things, but of building meaningful, sustainable and fulfilling lives. Because ultimately our success is not defined by how much we can produce, but by how fully we allow ourselves to grow, flourish and experience life. Congratulations to the class of 2026 and thank you so much.

00:14:53,549	S2:
Thank you. And now I'm very pleased to introduce our valedictorian, Emma Clift.

00:15:08,590	S3:
Thank you, Mr. Mengoni. Good morning. I am honored to be standing before you all today, graduates, friends, families and faculty members, thank you for being here. Framed in my room is a drawing of me done by my dad. And it was me who suggested he draw it at a parents night in third grade. I'm facing him in the drawing, and in it he captures the subtlest of details. I'm brought back to the very moment he drew it, and I recall how absorbed he was, not noticing the group of students that had swarmed around us to watch him draw me. And I also remember the smile he gave me when handing me the finished drawing. His hands that were once accustomed to doing art now tirelessly operate a machine performing the same monotonous tasks each day. Over 20 years ago, both my parents moved to the United States and Albania on green cards. I'm here to honor their sacrifices and to give purpose to them. Neither of their college degrees were transferable to the United States. No employer would accept their degrees, and so they were stuck doing jobs they were overqualified for and couldn't get the jobs that they used to have. And so they started from nothing new. No one hardly spoke English, despite them both speaking several other languages. I've seen them come home each night exhausted, doing jobs for the sake of having security. My dad, with a college degree in art, has to work long shifts at a job that doesn't give him any satisfaction. Similarly, my mom with a degree in accounting, had taken on a full time job at a supermarket when she first arrived. All the while balancing night college classes to get a degree that could be recognized and of use here. I had thought it was daunting when I first came to this school. Being a school choice student, I hadn't known anyone, nor did I know much about the area. When I now think of my parents coming to United States, I know that I could never begin to imagine what it was like for them having to leave everything behind and having to lose parts of their identity to assimilate. Coming here, both of them hoped to build on the lives they had before and to seek out opportunities for their children. I hope to be at least half the person that each of them is. Both of my parents have an unwavering commitment to our family, and the sacrifices they make are because of the unconditional love that they have for us. Rather than using words of affirmation, my parents make sure to pay attention to what brings us joy and to make us feel comfortable and cared for. The care they give us extends beyond our own family. When I was younger, we would often take families into our small apartment that had recently immigrated to the United States, expecting nothing in return, and it often entailed me and my brother having to give up our rooms and more and move over to the living room to accommodate them. My parents are always giving everything they can, and because they've given so much, I'd like to do my part in giving back what they've lost. Maybe one day I can guide my dad back to doing art, and we can adorn our house with pieces of his artwork. And I also want to honor all the parents here. Not just the immigrant parents, but all of you who have sacrificed for your children in some way and to have brought them to where they are now. And so thank you all, and especially thanks to both my parents, Nita Gashi and Irma, to thank you.

00:18:24,069	S2:
Thank you, Ayla and Emma. Over the past four years, you have quietly modeled what excellence looks like in our community. Thank you both for your leadership. I have no doubt you will create amazing opportunities for yourselves while continuing to make the world a better place. Today I'm up here wearing three hats. First and foremost, as your principal, I look out with pride at the exceptional group of young adults you have become.

00:18:56,380	S2:
I'm also the parent of a graduating senior today.

00:19:03,779	S2:
A young man who I am proud of and love more than anything.

00:19:12,140	S2:
Finally, for many of you, I've had the privilege of being a bystander for most of your childhoods. I'm trying my best not to become a puddle up here. It's not going great.

00:19:28,250	S2:
Just like your parents in the audience today. I can't help but be amazed how time moves so fast. It doesn't feel like that. Long ago, we were waiting at the bus stop with you during elementary school and driving you all over the North Shore. Now that you have a driver's license, you really have no need for us unless you want money.

00:19:56,250	S2:
We accompanied you on field trips to Appleton Farms, the Boston Symphony, and Plymouth Plantation. And then only a month ago, many of you were thousands of miles away in Spain and Taiwan. We were there with you at the socially awkward fifth grade and eighth grade dances when you just wanted us to go away. And then a week ago, you seemed to be happy taking pictures with us at Peyton Park before you headed off to prom. Our time together on fields and courts, during the seemingly endless hours of youth sports has turned in your opportunity to shine now as generals competing for state championships. And we certainly can't leave out the many concerts, musicals, plays, and dance competitions that showed over the years. How talented are.

00:20:50,599	S2:
As parents, we can't believe how fast time has passed by quietly. I think each of us wishes we had a little more time with you. To be clear, we are talking about the you that you are today, right now, not the ninth grade.

You. 00:21:12,559	S2:
Now, when I step back a bit and think about this class as a whole. One word comes to mind. Growth. I remember the first kindergarten open house we attended as parents when Miss Paige, looking shellshocked and exhausted, said, this is the most challenging group of students I have ever had.

00:21:35,390	S2:
I thought at that moment, wonderful. The next 13 years will be tons of fun and I can't wait till they get to high school. And you didn't disappoint right away, as you were a spirited bunch all the way through elementary school. In middle school, sleepovers started to consume most weekends. Our own house became a revolving door for a group of young men intent on raiding our pantry and refrigerator, leaving a trail of wrappers, wrappers, and empty Diet Coke bottles all over the place and making our house smell like an oven ventilated locker room.

00:22:13,309	S2:
This trend continued right into the early years of high school Whenever I heard the phrase friends are sleeping over, I knew exactly what the house would look like the next morning. It was hard to envision, from this limited perspective, where the class of 2026 would wind up after four years of high school. Then something happened towards the end of 10th grade and the start of junior year. It felt like an awakening where the members of this class started to find their true interests, challenged themselves in the classroom, and assume important leadership roles across the school. And you did so in a quiet and unassuming manner. This humility is a hallmark of your class. I look at each of you now, so proud of who you have become and the hard work you've put in over the past four years. And if I had to come up with a metaphor for this class, you know where I landed bamboo. Now, what does that mean? Bamboo. Do I see you as a bunch of tall green sticks? Probably not. Are you about to be devoured by oversized rabid pandas? No, I don't think so. When a bamboo seed is planted, it doesn't sprout after one year or even two. It takes three years before it finally shoots out of the ground, growing to over 90ft tall in a matter of weeks. Your class has achieved great things, but it couldn't have happened without those first years of underground growth. While you were down there unseen, you were establishing a massive root system built of character, courage, confidence and connection.

00:24:12,569	S2:
Because that foundation was strong. You absolutely took off these last two years. We see the evidence of that growth today in the ways you have become the leaders of our school, ambassadors for our community, and in the amazing places you are headed off to. This class has done exceptionally well. You should be incredibly proud of what you have accomplished, both, both personally and together, and we can't wait to see where those roots take you next.

00:24:46,950	S2:
My advice, if you want it, is to keep watering the bamboo. Trust the process. Even if it feels like nothing is happening on the surface. Life will not get easier, I'm sorry to say, but you have developed the strength and resilience to meet any challenge. You have spent years building a foundation that cannot be shaken and established a network of routes that will always keep you grounded.

00:25:18,619	S2:
It is those exact roots that connect you to this place and why you have made all of us as a school, a community. And for some of us, his parents, so deeply proud. Please don't be strangers. This will always be a home for you. Come back and visit us often.

Just. 00:25:46,339	S2:
Maybe don't show up in my living room a quarter of five in the morning. I can't really guarantee how that will go next time.

00:25:56,220	S2:
Congratulations to the class of 2026. Thank you for all you've done. We love you and go, generals.

00:26:18,849	S2:
Bamboo. I wasn't sure what that was going. Whew! Good morning everyone. My name is Eric Tracy. I'm the superintendent of schools and proud to be here today with our graduates. We owe a debt of gratitude to the parents, families, and guardians who have navigated this unique but transformative path alongside the members of the class of 2026. Also, we appreciate the trust you've placed in our dedicated staff and faculty as they've guided your children towards the upcoming chapters of their lives. One of the greater realities of our lives, well demonstrated by this class, is that we always need human connection, not just hello and goodbye types of connections, although that's a start, but deep, meaningful connections that continue to grow and help you grow and learn as an individual. One of the many strengths of the school district has always been the connections forged over the years. I noticed this on Thursday when our seniors went back to their elementary schools at the bunker where I hung out. They marched into the building to the cheers from our littlest learners and immediately went to see their teachers. As I listened to the speeches at candlelight, it was clear that those connections are still were still very strong. Emily spoke about how the 108 prepared you to connect, to find your place, and to make unfamiliar places feel like home. Natalia leaned into showing up. She said, every time I show up, no matter the place or the time, there was always a familiar face from the class of 2026. Your next challenge will be to expand the 108 to infinity. By continuing to make those strong connections and to show up building and maintaining strong relationships and bonds will be the best way to navigate the realities of your life outside of the Hamilton Wenham Regional School District. After all, the world outside of these little towns, quality connections are how things happen, how you get ahead, how you grow, and most importantly, what type of person you turn out to be. As you wind down from all of the graduation excitement next week, I urge you to take a moment to listen to those candlelight speeches one more time. To close out, I'd like to echo the sentiment of our candlelight speaker, Lucien Rivette. She said a support system like the one our class 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. Your job will be to make the 108 1008, then 1,000,008, and keep growing the love and friendships you have shared these last four years. On behalf of the faculty and staff of this amazing school district, we wish you the best of luck as you step off into the next segment of your journey. Remember 108 we will always be here for you. Because Hamilton 1 a.m. Regional School District relationships and connections last a lifetime. Once a general, always in general. Thank you.

00:29:34,900	S2:
And now, Mr. Madigan, the reason we're really all here today, by the authority vested in me by the state of Massachusetts and the Hamilton Wenham Regional School Committee, I certify that the members of the Hamilton Windham Regional High School Class of 2026, assembled before us today have met all of the requirements of the state of Massachusetts and the school district and are eligible to receive a diploma today.

00:30:10,839	S4:
Thank you, Mr. Tracy. Now it's my pleasure to welcome Sue Holland, co advisor for the senior class, as she joins us for the awarding of diplomas.

00:31:04,869	S1:
Claire Eleanor Adler.

00:31:14,029	S1:
Taylor, Michelle.

Apte. 00:31:22,910	S1:
Wyatt, Henry. Are the knights.

00:31:30,789	S1:
Lyla. Lauren.

Ashwood. 00:31:38,869	S1:
Emma. Shaw.

Babcock. 00:31:47,069	S1:
Ava. Antonina.

Bon. 00:31:55,029	S1:
Immanuel. Beryl.

Bawa. 00:32:03,819	S1:
Penelope. Joy.

Bellucci. 00:32:15,299	S1:
Evelyn. Anderson.

Bernard. 00:32:24,299	S1:
Maxwell.

Bernardi. 00:32:33,259	S1:
Liam.

00:32:42,500	S1:
Alexander. Hall.

Boardman. 00:32:52,220	S1:
Emmet R Bouchard.

00:33:01,250	S1:
Justice Walker Bauer.

00:33:10,289	S1:
Robert. Francis.

Wasserman. 00:33:20,210	S1:
Justin. Writing.

Bradley. 00:33:29,930	S1:
Elizabeth. Elise.

Brown. 00:33:39,089	S1:
Margot. Jennifer. Bryce.

Morris. 00:33:48,410	S1:
Annalise. Dawn.

Bubba. 00:33:57,279	S1:
Noah Charles.

Burnside. 00:34:06,640	S1:
Charlie. Kent.

Beyers. 00:34:16,079	S1:
Chase. Robert.

Tan. 00:34:25,360	S1:
Alida. Noelle.

Carr. 00:34:34,239	S1:
Luke. Sawyer.

Chapdelaine. 00:34:44,679	S1:
Finnegan. Charles.

Churchill. 00:34:54,469	S1:
Caroline Julia.

Cirillo. 00:35:05,230	S1:
Corina. Walia.

Coleman. 00:35:14,630	S1:
Jonas. Cameron.

Dirigo. 00:35:24,269	S1:
Patrick. Daniel.

Driscoll. 00:35:33,989	S1:
Evelyn. Rose.

Dorie. 00:35:43,909	S1:
Morgan. Ashley.

Etna. 00:35:53,500	S1:
Wreaths. Kathryn.

Fabrizio. 00:36:03,179	S1:
Seamus. Robert. Coco.

Farrell. 00:36:13,340	S1:
Ryan. Thomas.

Fazio. 00:36:23,500	S1:
Benjamin. Max. Alexander.

Filippov. 00:36:33,420	S1:
Savannah. Mae.

Goren. 00:36:48,059	S1:
Liam. Finn.

Gainey. 00:36:59,000	S1:
Lily. Lorraine.

Giovanna. 00:37:08,760	S1:
Grace. Amalia Mae Glidden.

00:37:18,800	S1:
Anand. Shah.

Gourley. 00:37:27,360	S1:
Madeline. Elliott.

Graber. 00:37:36,880	S1:
Hoby. James.

Greeves. 00:37:46,079	S1:
Kaylee. Veronica Green.

00:37:55,389	S1:
Joshua Edward Greenspun.

00:38:04,630	S1:
Logan Scott.

Guitar. 00:38:14,150	S1:
Griffin. Scott.

Hawkins. 00:38:22,869	S1:
Cormac McGinn.

Heaney. 00:38:32,269	S1:
Red.

Herzog. 00:38:40,750	S1:
Jillian McClellan.

Horner. 00:38:49,940	S1:
David Joseph David Hughes.

00:39:00,659	S1:
Hayley Locke.

Ireland. 00:39:09,619	S1:
Gabriela Mary Jewitt.

00:39:18,500	S1:
Patrick G.

00:39:27,019	S1:
Paul. Zhou.

Yongzheng. 00:39:36,219	S1:
Jonathan. Robert.

Colbeck. 00:39:45,650	S1:
Alexander, David.

King. 00:39:55,530	S1:
Brady, Robert.

Lennon. 00:40:04,570	S1:
Natalia.

Lazaridis. 00:40:13,449	S1:
Kate. Aubrey.

Leonard. 00:40:23,210	S1:
Emily. June.

Laghman. 00:40:32,650	S1:
Megan. Elise.

Laghman. 00:40:43,719	S1:
Kayla Grace Moorhouse.

00:40:54,920	S1:
Cameron Thomas McIntosh.

00:41:04,079	S1:
Emily. Rose McIntosh.

00:41:13,119	S1:
Nathaniel. Nathan. Michael McPhail.

00:41:24,239	S1:
Alexander. Wayne.

Mengoni. 00:41:42,349	S1:
Gavin Gregory.

Meyer. 00:41:53,309	S1:
Aubrey. Rose McAleese.

00:42:03,590	S1:
Grayson. Peter.

Minnick. 00:42:13,510	S1:
Augustus. Robert.

Mitchell. 00:42:22,590	S1:
Luke, William.

Molteno. 00:42:33,190	S1:
Andreas Michael.

Moreira. 00:42:43,460	S1:
Molly. Beth.

Mosher. 00:42:53,059	S1:
Danielle. Cassidy.

Murray. 00:43:05,780	S1:
Samantha. Lauren.

Nevins. 00:43:16,780	S1:
Matthew. Jack.

Go. 00:43:27,099	S1:
Madison. Reese.

Novak. 00:43:36,360	S1:
Jacob Michael O'Brien.

00:43:45,360	S1:
Clare. Madeline O'Toole.

00:43:54,840	S1:
Alan.

Pang. 00:44:05,159	S1:
Charles. Benjamin.

Pryor. 00:44:14,320	S1:
Joseph. Braden.

Harrington. 00:44:24,159	S1:
Lana. Elise. Romy.

Randazzo. 00:44:34,949	S1:
Lucien. Marie.

Rivet. 00:44:45,269	S1:
Avery. Nancy. Grace.

Ring. 00:44:55,630	S1:
Rey. Manuel.

Santiago. 00:45:08,710	S1:
Meyer. Samuel.

Skolnik. 00:45:19,150	S1:
Caden. James.

Schrock. 00:45:29,710	S1:
Marissa. Julia.

Siebert. 00:45:41,619	S1:
Jacoby. Raymond.

Shea. 00:45:53,579	S1:
Rowan. Grace.

Shekels. 00:46:06,980	S1:
Kevin. Joseph.

Spoon. 00:46:17,699	S1:
Jane. Everard.

Starr. 00:46:27,739	S1:
Kira. Grace.

Stein. 00:46:37,210	S1:
Nicholas. William.

Stein. 00:46:47,250	S1:
Ian. Gabriel.

Swanson. 00:46:57,130	S1:
Rory. Colin.

Taylor. 00:47:07,010	S1:
Avery. Malcolm.

Heenan. 00:47:20,369	S1:
Owen. Christopher.

Waddell. 00:47:33,800	S1:
Katherine Eleanor Rose Walsh.

00:47:46,480	S1:
Isabel Mae Westcott.

00:47:59,519	S1:
Anika. Walker.

Wahlgren. 00:48:11,039	S1:
Mao TV Yan.

00:48:21,440	S1:
Natalia Yun.

00:48:32,030	S1:
Ala. Jamieson. Kim.

Finn. 00:48:43,190	S1:
Emma.

00:49:12,789	S4:
Faculty, staff, family and members of the Hamilton Wisdom community. It is my great honor to present to you the graduates of Hamilton Windham Regional High School, class of 2026.

00:49:34,980	S4:
And now please join me in welcoming class of 2026 President Abbe Bernard to the stage.

00:49:49,780	S3:
Good morning friends, family, faculty, staff and my fellow graduates. My name is Evy Bernard and after serving as class president, it is such an honor to deliver today's commencement speech. Thank you all for being here today to celebrate this milestone. Many of my friends already know this story, but for those of you that don't. I was in a car accident this past February. Before anyone asks. No, nobody was hurt. And although I will probably go to my grave believing it, it was not entirely my fault. I would still like to formally apologize to my parents for their insurance rates. One of my best friends, Samantha and I, were on our way to our ski race at Bradford when before we knew it, we were being T-boned while taking a left turn. In retrospect, I may have been moving a little too quickly and not taking enough time to slow down and really look up at what was coming towards us. As frightening as that experience was, and despite the fact that I lost a significant amount of driving credibility, it taught me something important. As we move into this next chapter of our lives, I encourage all of you to slow down and look around. Life moves fast. As we all know, these past four years of high school have passed in what feels like a blink. It's important to appreciate the moments we still together, and to remain present as we move forward. Don't get so focused on what comes next that you miss what is happening right in front of you. If you're anything, if you're anything like me, very type A always planning ahead, always early, always wanting everything to be perfect. It can be easy to treat life like one big rush, but some of the most meaningful moments happen when we pause long enough to notice them. Be aware of your surroundings. Be curious and be present. And when things do go wrong, because eventually they will. It is how you respond to them that that reveals your true character. For me, that meant going straight to the ski race after the crash, and somehow Samantha and I still made it with five minutes to spare. As a highly competitive person, there is no chance I was going to let a car accident stop me from racing that day. Life will inevitably throw unexpected challenges at all of us. What matters most is that we continue moving forward. Choose resilience over self-doubt. Trust yourself and don't allow setbacks to define who you are. Finally, thank the people around you. The support Samantha and I received after that crash reminded me just how fortunate we are to be part of a community like Hamilton. Sometimes we take for granted how deeply supportive and caring this community truly is. So this is my thank you to my family, my friends, our teachers, the administration, my coaches, and everyone who made these past four years unforgettable. Thank you for everything. Our class is truly something special and I could not be more proud of everything we have accomplished together. Congratulations, class of 2026.