Final grades are in, diplomas have been presented, and tassels have been ceremoniously turned from right to left. The commencement ceremony for Bethpage High School's Class of 2026, held Friday, June 26, on the school's football field, was a spirited yet bittersweet send-off for an exceptional group of students. Now Golden Eagle Alumni, the Class of 2026 is off to new adventures in college, the workforce, and the military.
The ceremony began with the parade of seniors onto the field to the notes of Pomp and Circumstance, played by the Bethpage High School Band. Teachers and administrators led the way in Bethpage blue, and the stands were filled with cheering family members and friends, with signs and balloons peppered throughout the crowd.
Principal Nick Jantz served as master of ceremonies, introducing a slate of speakers that included senior class president Isabella Richemond, student council president Sarah Oh, salutatorian Andrew Hacker, valedictorian Gregorio Andres Bonetti, and Superintendent David Scheider. Senior class members Stacy Martinez, Anderson Maziero, Lilbeth Simon, and Melissa Vaquerano performed an a cappella rendition of the national anthem.
The theme of community ran through all the speeches, as speakers reminded the Class of 2026 that the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. Be the person who welcomes others wholeheartedly. Be the person who reaches out, includes others, and helps create a sense of belonging, Oh urged. Because at the end of the day, community doesn't happen by accident. It is created by people choosing to support one another continuously, every day.
Principal Jantz congratulated the class on its achievements, noting a 99.6% graduation rate, with 98% of students receiving Regents Diplomas and 70% of those earning the advanced designation. Ninety percent of the class will attend colleges and universities across the country this fall, while others are heading to the military, beginning apprenticeships, or entering the workforce.
As America begins its next 250 years, your generation will write the next chapter, said Jantz. Not only through the careers you pursue, but also through the choices you make, the way you treat others, and the communities you help build. The nation's strength has always depended on the strength of its communities, and strong communities depend on people willing to contribute, serve others, and leave things better than they found them. That is the legacy these students inherit today.
Valedictorian Gregorio Andres Bonetti offered encouragement to his fellow classmates as they begin their next steps. Quoting Spanish poet Antonio Machado, he said, Traveler, there is no path. The path is made by walking. We don't need a perfect plan for the future. We just need to start walking.
Following the speeches, administrators and members of the Board of Education presented students with their diplomas. Jantz pronounced the students graduates, and after the tassels were moved, they triumphantly tossed their caps into the air as the band played the recessional.
The entire Bethpage School District congratulates the Class of 2026 and wishes them the best in their future endeavors.