The day before Commencement at New Hampton School has a unique rhythm. Every year, the schedule on paper is nearly identical: rehearsals, ceremonies, awards, speeches, dinners, photos, and gatherings. Yet each class experiences the day differently. The traditions stay the same, but emotions inside them shift with every graduating class.
For the Class of 2026, the final full day as students unfolded in waves. Early in the day, there was still laughter during rehearsal, restlessness during directions, and the familiar energy of students eager to reach the finish line. Families arrived. Friends reunited. Seniors shifted between excitement and impatience as they practiced where to stand, when to walk, and how to process into the next day’s ceremony.
But as the hours passed and the celebrations continued, the weight of what was ending slowly began to settle in. Before the tassels turn, before the diplomas are handed across the stage, there is one final day suspended between two identities: no longer quite students, not yet fully alumni.
Class of 2026 Brick Dedication
The evening began with the annual Brick Dedication Ceremony. This New Hampton tradition started in the 1990s. Across campus, collections of engraved bricks show generations of Huskies who helped shape the School’s history. This year, the Class of 2026’s bricks overlook campus beside the newly dedicated Williams Pavilion. Their place creates a permanent site for reflection and remembrance.
Head of School Joe Williams reflected on both the significance of the class and the symbolism of the location itself. “This pavilion that your names will forever be attached to reflects your class togetherness and the balance of fun and hard work that you have navigated so well.”
For Joe and Eileen Williams, the moment carried additional meaning as they prepared to conclude their own chapter at New Hampton School alongside the graduating class. “It symbolizes our shared ‘graduation’ from this wonderful community,” Williams shared, “and your support of our time together in Husky Nation.”
Mrs. Williams reflected on the countless everyday moments that ultimately define boarding school life. “Community is not built only in classrooms, on stages, or on athletic fields,” she remarked. “It is built in the small, everyday moments we share together.”
Throughout the evening, speakers returned to the idea that the little moments become the lasting ones.
Senior speaker Heidi Smith reflected on the experiences that shaped the class: “The trips to Tilton with advisories, breakfast at Country Store, hikes up Burleigh Mountain, the laughter during pair skating, cheering during games, the smiles as students return from long breaks, and the tears at Commencement.”
Alex Rangelov echoed the permanence of those memories and relationships. “Each one is placed next to the other,” he said of the bricks. “Each one is placed to commemorate us not only individually, but as a class.” Even while acknowledging his excitement for what comes next, Rangelov admitted the reality of leaving had begun to settle in. “The closer and closer I get to the end,” he reflected, “the more I realize how much I’m going to miss this high school experience.”
As students and families gathered around the new bricks, the ceremony became about more than the engraved names. It became about what those names represented: friendships, growth, challenges overcome, and a shared experience that permanently tied the class together.
Awards Night 2026
From Brick Dedication, the community moved to Awards Night. Students, faculty, and families gathered to celebrate achievement, leadership, creativity, and growth. It’s a night to honor the united student body. Yet beneath the applause, the evening revealed more. It was a reflection not only on what students achieved but also on who they became during their time at New Hampton School.
Academic Dean Matt Cahoon framed the evening around the International Baccalaureate Learner Profile, describing it not as “a checklist, but a vision of a life well lived.” Reflecting on qualities such as curiosity, courage, compassion, reflection, and balance, Cahoon challenged students to think beyond awards or accolades toward the kind of people they were becoming.
“The real accomplishment,” Cahoon reminded students, “is not just what you’ve achieved, but who you are becoming in the process.”
As the Class of 2026 edged closer to Commencement morning, Cahoon shared one final image. For years, these students sat at graduation facing Meservey Hall. “Tomorrow,” he said, “you will finally get to attend one where you sit facing away from it.” While graduates would soon look toward family, opportunity, and the future ahead, he reminded them that New Hampton and the generations of Huskies who came before them would remain behind them in support.
This year’s Awards Night also brought extra emotion. The community honored Joe and Eileen Williams during their final Commencement season at New Hampton School. Speaking for the Parents’ Association, Amy Allen thanked the couple. She noted how they helped make the campus feel like more than just a school. “You opened your hearts and your home to them,” Allen shared, “making the campus feel not just like a school, but like a home.”
The tribute mirrored the night’s emotions. People shape a community. Time passes quickly. Even as chapters close, relationships endure. As underclassmen retreated to their houses for their year-end celebrations with their housemates—while also packing up the last of their rooms prior to summer break—the Class of 2026 and their families turned their attention to Senior Dinner and Baccalaureate.
Baccalaureate
While earlier ceremonies celebrated accomplishments and legacies, Baccalaureate offered something even more personal.
Baccalaureate is held every year in McEvoy Theater. The gathering is quieter and more intimate. It is a farewell between the graduating class, their families, and the adults who helped guide them at New Hampton School. As Joe Williams said in his opening remarks, McEvoy had long been a place for “laughter, performances, celebrations, and more.” On this night, though, it became a place “to say thank you and goodbye.”
Seven student speakers—Kelsey Baker, Charlie Kaikow, Lily Thomas, Izzy Baskins, Ray MacDougall, Tova Yerardi, and Luna McCulloch—shared stories that collectively painted a portrait of the Class of 2026: thoughtful, vulnerable, humorous, deeply connected, and profoundly shaped by one another. Again and again, the students returned not to accomplishments, but to relationships.
Kelsey Baker spoke about the small moments that ultimately became the defining ones. “Because the little things are the big things after all,” she shared, recounting everything from late-night conversations and team trips to everyday moments of friendship and belonging.
Charlie Kaikow reflected on the people who shaped him at New Hampton. “The people make this place special,” he reflected. “There’s no trophy, test grade, or achievement in life as important as your healthy relationships and the people you hitch yourself to.”
Lily Thomas shared her fears about arriving at boarding school and the uncertainty of leaving home behind. Looking back now, she recognized how fully the experience had transformed her. “The decisions that scare you the most,” she reflected, “are often the ones that shape you.”
Izzy Baskins offered one of the evening’s most memorable reflections while exploring the idea of being “chalant” — caring deeply in a world that often encourages detachment. “What a privilege it is to care,” she shared. “Life is so much more fun when you care.”
Ray MacDougall spoke about friendship and mentorship. These relationships turned New Hampton into home. “People are what make a place special,” he said. “New Hampton gave us more than an education. It gave us community, family, and a place that will always feel like home.”
For Tova Yerardi, growth came through learning not to fear failure. “We all took a risk coming here,” she shared, “and if I’ve learned anything, it’s that the decisions that scare you the most are often the ones that shape you.”
Luna McCulloch closed the student remarks, reflecting on how people shape one another over time. “You are only as good as the people around you,” she said, echoing a lesson from her father. Looking out at her classmates, she ended simply: “Class of 2026—I think we are gonna be just fine.”
Featured Faculty Speaker
The evening concluded with remarks from faculty speaker Charlie Smith, selected by the graduating class. Smith reminded students that while achievements and accolades matter, some of the most meaningful work in life happens quietly, without recognition or applause.
“You all contain multitudes,” Smith reflected. “The years ahead will be filled with great stories and adventures.” Sharing the story of a years-long mentorship that profoundly shaped his own life, Smith encouraged graduates to seek opportunities to make a difference for others, even when no reward accompanies the effort. “Find something you can do for no pay, no credit, no social media likes, no congratulations,” he urged, “but that will fill you with a great sense of accomplishment.”
As the final remarks ended, the theater lights dimmed, and the slideshow began to play across the screen. Photographs of friendships, performances, championships, Project Weeks, traditions, and countless ordinary moments that no longer felt ordinary at all. And then, once more, the evening changed pace again. Families hugged their students goodbye and departed campus for the night. The ceremonies had ended. The speeches were finished. What remained was one final night belonging entirely to the Class of 2026.
As this is published, the class has boarded buses for one final adventure. Before the tassels turn, there is this final stretch of time together—a last ordinary night remembering who they have been and hopeful of who they are about to become.
Congratulations to the following students and faculty recognized for their outstanding contributions to New Hampton School.
Cum Laude Society Recognition & Tassel Presentation
Class of 2026 Members:
Max Brown ’26
Jaedyn Feaster ’26
Chase Graves ’26
Anthony Hester ’26
Nellie MacDonald ’26New Inductees:
Cara Kuczek ’26
Jocelyn Smith ’26
Tova Yerardi ’26
Ralph S. O’Connor Excellence in Teaching Prize
Nathan Saler
Barbara Guardenier Master Teaching Chair in Science
Peg Frame P’04, ’10
Joe Plaia Outstanding Athlete Award
Griffin Taylor ’26
Kelsey Baker ’26
Golden-Tilton Post-Graduate Award
Jack O’Connor ’26
Visual Arts Award
Asa Gilman ’26
Performing Arts Awards
Estelle Jennings ’26
English Department Award
Cara Kuczek ’26
History Department Award
Nellie MacDonald ’26
Mathematics Department Award
Chase Graves ’26
Science Department Award
Chase Graves ’26
World Language Department Award
Asa Gilman ’26
Underclass Award Recognitions
Congratulations to the following students that were recognized for their outstanding achievements and contributions at New Hampton School. We look forward to their ongoing leadership and growth in the coming years.
Skip Howard Scholar-Athlete: Mason Walenta ’28
Skip Howard Scholar-Athlete: Emma MacPherson ’27
The Scientific Inquiry Award: Enshuo “Eric” Zhang ’27
Scientific Achievement Award: Lillian Lybrand ’27
Emerging Writer in History Award: Inaya Robinson-Wood ’27
Emerging Contributor in History Award: Ellie Zink ’27
Underclass Spanish Award: Theron “Trey” Farnsworth ’27
Underclass French Award: Mila Cabot-Jones ’28
Mathematical Communication Award: Xinhao “Howard” Zhang ’28
Mathematics Potential Award: Jinseok “Jimmy” Jang ’29Visual Arts Award: Enshuo “Eric” Zhang ’27Music Award: Avery Greene ’27
Theatre Award: Ryane Dembiec ’27
The Writing Prize: Mason Walenta ’28
The Literature Prize: Lillian Lybrand ’27
House Citizens of the Year
Caswell House: Sarah Pollard ’27
Draper House: Cam Danchak ’26
Galletly House: Brody Merrick ’26
Lewis House: Muzzy Goodwin ’29
Lindsay House: Oliver Quong ’27
Moore House: Maggie Coulter ’28
O’Connor House: Molly Marshall ’26
Phillips House: Brooke King ’27
Rice House: Regina Morales Ruiz ’29
Small House: Mason Walenta ’28
Veazey House: Noah Stevens ’26
Peer Tutoring and Writing Center Recognitions
Avery Greene ’27
Cara Kuczek ’26
Mary Ludwig ’28
Inaya Robinson-Wood ’27
Adia Robinson-Wood ’27
Max Moore ’27
Max Brown ’26
Mila Cabot-Jones ’28
Nellie MacDonald ’26
Jocelyn Smith ’26
Tova Yerardi ’26
Kesley Baker ’26
Ellie Baskins ’27
Noah Stevens ’26
Ellie Zink ’27
Lillian Lybrand ’27
Asa Gilman ’26
Anthony Hester ’26
Jerry Jiang ’26
