SEYMOUR – Seymour High School’s Class of 2026 stepped into the future Tuesday (June 16) – some heading to Harvard and Yale this fall, others to the military and the workforce – during the school’s 139th annual commencement ceremony.
Clad in vibrant Wildcat blue caps and gowns, many sporting honor cords and gold medallions around their necks, the 149 seniors made their way up to DeBarber Field to the sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance.” A big crowd of family and friends, armed with floral bouquets, bunches of balloons and signs, cheered the class on from the bleachers.
Some of the seniors in the procession walked hand in hand with little kids, known as KinderCats, which partners seniors with Bungay School kindergarteners for a mentoring program.
Senior Josiah Santiago-Pasnault kicked off the ceremony by performing a rollicking version of the “Star Spangled Banner” on his bass guitar.
Class valedictorian William Lee, who will be attending Harvard University in the fall, said he was thankful for his teachers and school counselors. Lee drew inspiration from a speech comedian Conan O’Brien gave at Harvard’s commencement last month.
“We have to also acknowledge the ‘infinitely packed clown car’ of family, teachers, friends and strangers who have, by sheer luck, become our companions and mentors and who have shaped us into who we are today,” Lee said. “Looking at my clown car, I can confidently say that much of what I have accomplished is not the result of my efforts alone.”
Class salutatorian Anuhya Shah said even though Seymour High is a small-town school, it afforded her and her fellow classmates with plenty of big opportunities over the last four years.
“From diverse classes and electives like the UConn EMT course and graphic design, to spirit weeks, field trips, and senior field day, it was a place that let us lead, learn, fail safely, try again, and discover passions we never expected,” Shah said. “This school challenged us, connected us, and shaped us, and it’s a home we’ll always carry with us, even if we won’t miss the Wi‑Fi”.
Shah read aloud a letter she penned to the class, titled “Dear Us 10 Years from Now.”
“We hope you’ve spent these years making a real difference in someone’s life, even in small ways that mattered more than anyone realized. We hope you chose the harder right over the easier wrong, and that kindness stayed something you lived out, not just talked about. We hope you kept trying new things, even when they pushed you out of your comfort zone. Most of all, we hope you become someone we’d be proud to grow into, someone who showed up, who cared deeply, and who did not lose sight of what matters. We’ve already proven we can climb. Now it’s time to see just how high we can go. Congratulations, Class of 2026.”
Class President Jeremy Tomasheski took the class on a walk down memory lane, remarking how many of his fellow grads started off together at Country Bear Preschool, a time when he said the biggest problem was deciding whether to have graham crackers or saltines for a snack.
“Life felt pretty simple then,” Tomasheski said. “Then we finally got to high school, when everything started moving fast. We began setting goals for our future, trying to figure out who we wanted to become.”
Tomasheski reminded his classmates that the blue and gold Wildcat pride which runs through every senior to have passed through the high school’s doors will remain long after graduation ends.
“Being a Wildcat means no matter where life takes us – college, careers, new towns or new dreams – we will always carry this place with us,” Tomasheski said. “Tonight isn’t just the end of high school. It’s the end of a chapter that started when we were little kids walking the halls of Bungay and Chatfield with backpacks bigger than we were, riding bikes to places we didn’t even know were around, swimming at a friend’s house almost every day of the summer and not realizing that these would become the memories we hold onto the most. Now we’re a bit older, a little wiser, and ready for whatever comes next. Let’s go show the world what Wildcats are truly made of.”
Senior class speaker Lily Moir philosophized about “memento mori,” a Latin phrase meaning ‘remember you must die’ or ‘remember death,’ which is an ancient practice to help people focus on the present and to value the time they have with the people they love while they’re still here.
“Immerse yourself in love, let it be the headline and let it be the echo you leave behind,” Moir said. “Be generous with your time and be generous with your attention. And remember to live, remember to be kind and remember to love while you still have the chance.”
A highlight of the ceremony featured members of SHS’ Class of 1976, who graduated 50 years ago. The alumni walked in with the Class of 2026, and were recognized earlier in the evening by town and school officials.
Once all the speeches were done, and the last diploma handed out, Tomasheski led his fellow grads in the traditional turning of the tassel on their caps. And with that, the grads rounded the track around DeBarber Field one last time and walked into their next chapter.
Here is the list of graduates, as submitted by the school.
Adrian Syla
Aiden Lombardi
Aleksandra Czerwony
Alex Maiorino
Alex Pekarek
Alexander Caballero
Alexandra Weiler
Aleyna Efe
Alfio Ciraldo
Alyssa Vergati
Amelia Cardona
Ana Overkamp
Angel Adams Rivera
Angel Lanzieri
Angelina Riccio
Annabelle Tessitore
Anthony Cortello
Anuhya Shah
Ariana Alvarez
Ariel Zedek
Arion Johnson
Aubry Wasko
Audrey Marro
Ava Cornet
Ayan Rabbani
Ayden Frey
Benjamin Fetzko
Brayden Champagne
Brianna Rosario
Carleigh Bredice
Cassidy Marcinczyk
Catherine White
Chloe Pernaselci
Chloe Giovacchino
Colbie Drezek
Connor Moriarty
Corey Wilczak
Cristian Marroquin
Daniel Marra
Darshay Metellus
Deandre Ellis
Dejonay Watt
Demetrios Karagiannis
Diana Pater
Elliott Lonergan
Emily Antignani
Ethan Smith
Ezequiel Cortez
Fern Soucy
Gabriela Zygadlo
Gabriella Cotas
Gerianne Guy
Hannah Dillon
Haydee Melgar Ayala
Hugues Charles
Isaac Ham
Isabella Melissano
Isaiah Bravo
Jacob Britto
Jacob Castelo
Jah-nyah Willingham
James Burn
Janelis Cruz
Jayden Cruz
Jazy Boy
Jenna Sabatini
Jennifer Cuzzolina
Jeremy Tomasheski
Jessica Gladkowska
Jhashawn McCarthy
Jonathan Palmquist-Cervera
Joseph Soto
Josiah Santiago-Pasnault
Julia Polak
Juliana Picard
Juliana Rivera
Julianna Raucci
Kaleigh Pedro
Karleigh Cotter
Katelyn Castillo
Kayenat Asif
Kayla Sproles
Kaylee Kosiorowski
Keiner Marroquin
Kendra Da Rosa
Kevin Rodriguez
Kevin Farquharson
Kyleigh Scofield
Kylie Echevarria
Kylie McKirryher
Kyra Pernaselci
Lali Tsoupas
Layla Dickens
Leah Parkosewich
Leon West
Liam Franssen
Liana Baez Pizarro
Lila Miller
Lily Moir
Lily Reyher
Logan Savino
Luca Vasquez
Luke Pernaselci
Mackenzie Wichman
Makayla Dowdy
Mathew Alves
Matthew Damke
Maximilian Kasperuk
McEva Morrison
Mckenzie Baker
Micah Johnson
Miguel Cabrera Paucar
Mirravail Rishi
Nathan Ferreira
Nathan Kitlas
Nathan Long Charles
Nehemiah Davis-Streeter
Nicholas Fiorini
Nicholas Glazer
Nicholas Kyrytschenko
Nickolas Rovinelli
Olivia Byszkowiecki
Olivia Chvirko
Paige Szymanski
Paul Norris
Pierce Branch
Rachael DeAngelis
Richard Rivera
Ryan Dong
Ryan Babineau
Ryleigh Saddlemire
Sam Robinson
Savanna Merritt
Scott DeMarco
Sebastian Alonzo
Shea Jackson
Skylin Colon- Coriano
Sofia Morgan
Sophia O’Neil
Spencer Whitlow
Tajae Johnson
Taylor Guarino
Tyler Rodriguez
Tyler Torvend
Valeria Ganchala Chaves
Veronika Griga
Victor Caraballo Guaricela
William Lee
Wyatt Smarz
Zackery Nook