"You began high school in a time of uncertainty and change. You stumbled, adapted, matured, and showed resilience well beyond your years. As we celebrate your achievements today, resilience is the word that keeps coming to mind. It's what brought you to this moment, not just your grades or awards," interim Principal Angela Johansen said.

 

"For some of you, resilience looks like staying up late to study, revising essays, and pushing yourselves to earn As and Bs through dedication and determination. Your academic effort is truly impressive. For others, it meant getting through a tough class, a hard week, or a challenging month and still showing up. And for those of you in our career, technical programs, resilience showed up in mastering complex skills, reading blueprints, wiring a circuit, building a shed from the ground up, preparing meals for others, or creating professional content in the studio."

 

The 176 students of the class crossed the stage at Tanglewood on Friday afternoon before the rain began. Graduates were reminded to keep their heads up in a world of uncertainty.

 

Valedictorian Nicholas Kerwood reminded his classmates that "it wasn't just about the grades we earned, but about the lessons we learned, the friendships we formed, and the way we lifted each other up when things got tough."

 

"We've seen each other grow, not just academically, but as people, and that's something we're celebrating. As I reflect on these years, I think about the late-night study sessions, the moments of self-doubt, the struggles that made us question whether we could keep going, but I also think about the joy of overcoming them," he said.

 

"I think about the teachers who believed in us when we didn't believe in ourselves, the classmates who became friends in the moments that made us laugh, even when we thought there was nothing to smile about. It's important to recognize that while this is the end of our time here, this is also a new beginning. The world beyond these walls is vast and full of endless possibilities. We may not have all the answers, no, but the beauty of life is that we don't have to have it all figured out. What we do need is the courage to continue the journey, to embrace uncertainty, and to trust that our hard work and passion will guide us forward."

 

Kerwood asked them to remember that success isn't defined by a title or award.

 

"True success is about the impact we make on the world, the kindness we share, and the lives we touch," he said.

 

"It's about being brave enough to fail and resilient enough to try again. It's about being true to ourselves and lifting each other as we go."

 

The valedictorian has a GPA of 103.6 and graduated as an AP Scholar. He is a member of the National Honor Society, Link Crew, and Rotary Club, served as a student summit leader for the school's Portrait of a Graduate program, and received the the Bausch & Lomb Science Award from the University of Rochester (N.Y.), the Endicott College Book Award, and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents certificate of academic excellence.

 

Kerwood was captain of the varsity cross country team and will attend the University of Vermont in the fall.

 

Salutatorian Alec Ginsberg described senior year as a "complete emotional rollercoaster" and "chaotic masterpiece."  He referenced the saying "You can't control the wind, but you can adjust your sails."

 

"The closest I've gotten to navigating a sailboat was steering a shopping cart with a broken wheel, but this quote spoke to me, because it's really about us. Our resilience, perspective, and choice," he said.

 

"The wind is unpredictable. It changes. Pushes you off course. It messes up your hair on picture day. The wind is everything you can't control. The hard times, the unexpected losses, the pop quizzes, or the wifi going out right before you submitted that last assignment that was due at 11:59, but the sail, that's you. Your attitude and decisions, your response, and adjusting that sail doesn't mean pretending the wind isn't blowing you sideways. It means grabbing the ropes and saying, 'Let's go this way.' We, the class of 2025, have mastered adjusting our sails."

 

Ginsberg feels that his class has grit, something he has seen in hallway conversations, last-minute rehearsals, the kindness they showed each other, and the way the class has grown.

 

"Some of us are heading to college, some of us to work. Some of us might be figuring it out, but that's okay, because life will keep throwing us new winds. We don't always get to control them, but we do get to decide how we meet them," he said.

 

"We can choose growth over fear, curiosity over comfort, gratitude over regret, journey before destination, and when things go off course, because they will, we remember that we have the power to realign, shift, and try again. We've been doing it since freshman year."

 

Ginsberg has a GPA of 103.4 and graduated as an AP Scholar. He has served as a student representative to the School Committee and is a member of the National Honor Society and Link Crew. He was awarded the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship, the Binghamton University Scholars Program annual scholarship, and won the Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy essay contest.  

 

He was captain of the varsity cross country and swim teams and will be pursuing a career in mathematics at State University of New York at Binghamton.

 

"The class of 2025 has faced its share of challenges, but you've chosen to hold on to hope, friendship, laughter, and the growth you didn't even notice happening. That's what makes you resilient, not just what you've experienced, but how you've made meaning of it, and how you choose to tell your story," Johansen told the graduates.

 

"My wish for you is that when you look back on your time at Taconic, the good outweighs the difficult, and that you carry forward the relationships, joy, and lessons that brought you to this moment. Wherever life takes you, stay curious, kind, and courageous, and remember resilience doesn't mean being unbreakable. It means rising again and again with purpose."

 

Graduate Ryley Schwarz sang the national anthem, and the ceremony included performances by the Taconic band and chorus.

 

Taconic High School class of 2025