2026 Lenox Graduates 'Won The Lottery'

LENOX, Mass. — Some 59 Lenox graduates crossed the stage at Tanglewood’s Koussevitzky Music Shed under overcast skies on Sunday. 

Graduate Amelia Coco Gilardi, who earned an Associate's Degree from BCC 17 days ago, said that if earning a college degree before a high school diploma seems a little backwards, "That's because it is, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that our paths aren't always in a straight line, and that's okay."

Gilardi has lived in two worlds as a dual enrollment student, which she said most of her classmates do as scholars, students and leaders, employees and family members, artists and scientists, actors and more.

She stressed the importance of kindness, explaining that the right thing can also feel like the hardest thing to do. 

"This is because kindness is not passive; it is a choice, it is a fierce, courageous action," she said. 

"When we look back at our time here at Lenox, we will not remember the minutiae of our daily routines. What we will remember is the way the people around us made us feel. We will remember the friends who celebrated us and cheered us on, the teachers who advocated and fought for us, and the family members who supported us through every high and low." 

We all know how good it feels when someone takes the extra step to make us feel seen, heard, valued, respected, safe, and loved, Gilardi said, and we all have the power to be that person for someone else. 

Her one request to classmates is that they treat others with the same respect and care they want to receive, and "Please," consider the kind choice. 

Salutatorian Chloe Parsenios pointed to the 157 months, 684 weeks, 4,669 days, 112,056 hours, 6,723,360 minutes since they began kindergarten.  This calculation, she said, represents more than the passage of time, but time spent growing and learning. 

"As I have grown and seen other places, I've come to realize that being raised in this community is like winning the lottery, and I believe it is because of you, our community. Being a member of this graduating class is a part of our good fortune," she said. 

"Ever since kindergarten, our teachers would often tell our families, and even us, that our class was a unique group of children. They often referred to us as our own little family." 

Valedictorian Sai Sanjana Meesala said she did not earn the title because she is the smartest person in the room, "It's because I spent years learning from the people in this room."

She shared positive traits she has learned from classmates, including confidence and self-assurance, making people feel respected and valued, listening, and approaching problems with clear and logical thinking. 

"Most of you probably don't realize the impact you've had on me, but every one of you has helped shape where I am today," Meesala said. 

She has developed a simple mantra over the years that helped her improve: notice, dissect, continue.  This means treating your life like an experiment, making observations, and taking notes. 

"I try to notice it every time something works out, and what I did to make it happen. I also pay attention when people criticize me, when I get angry, and when I get embarrassed," she said, later explaining, "If there's one thing my journey has taught me is that we have the key to the settings of our brains, not anyone else."

Principal Jeremiah Ames remembered when he and other staff would help students safely cross the road to school, utilizing the crosswalk.  He advised graduates to look for breaks in traffic as they approach the future. 

"To be clear, I hope you never intentionally put yourself or anyone else in harm's way, but there will be many opportunities in life that you'll never find waiting at the crossing. There will be breaks in traffic where it'll be safe to cross if you're paying attention. Keep your head up, keep your eyes open, and for Pete's sake, put your phone down and look behind," he said. 

"There's almost always going to be a crosswalk in your life. There will be a safe way to navigate relationships, your work life, your finances, and sometimes that's the best way to take. We all need safe partners in life, but if you're watching for them, you'll find opportunities beyond the crosswalk, beyond the known and trusted pathways."

He said he is equally as proud to have been part of a community that has inspired these graduates to think independently, to identify opportunities, and to take risks when they are warranted.

Superintendent William Collins included advice from eight wise people after asking them what piece of advice they wish someone had given them at the age of 17 or 18. 

These individuals, who included doctors, artists, economists, and educators, delivered what he called three undeniable truths that connect them all: stop measuring success by a vertical climb, release yourself from the tyranny of a perfect plan, and you cannot do this alone. 

"Surround yourself with individuals who elevate your character, who show up when it matters, and who carry the heavy days with you," Collins told the class. 

"Class of 2026, the world ahead is wide, hard, interesting, and beautiful, armed with the wisdom of those who have walked it before you. Take a breath, trust the journey, and go make it your own."

"The Star-Spangled Banner" was sung by graduate Lauren Bridges. Bridges and Devon Smits performed "Vienna" by Billy Joel with other grades, and the school’s band performed the prelude and recessional. 
 

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