WOODSTOCK — The ceremony celebrating Woodstock Union High School’s class of 2026 on Friday featured a 17-minute performance by the student Speakchorus. This group of six students performed a rapid-paced piece titled “What Strength Could Blood Vessels Summon with the Hundreds of Hearts Right Here?”
The speech included inspirational quotes, student-written poetry, a cappella singing, and a personalized description of every student in the graduating class.
The students’ deep observation of one another showed through their appreciation of everything from a “friendly smile” to a classmate who “always used the tiniest pencils.”
Class President Finnbarr Costello performed the final speech, admitting that he had difficulty following the Speakchorus.
“I’m sure that we’ve all heard the saying that time flies when you’re having fun,” said Costello. “It was certainly never fun taking tests and worrying about college, but the memories we all shared absolutely were. Because of that, I think a more fitting saying is, time flies when you’re in good company.”
The ceremony, which was held in the school’s football field on the radiant, humid evening of June 12, began with the high school symphonic band ushering in the faculty processional. This group was followed by the 72 green-robed seniors, marching to “Pomp and Circumstance.”
The high school’s principal, Aaron Cinquemani, began the ceremony, speaking of the entire school community as a thriving “ecosystem” that the senior class, whether they realized it or not, had contributed to. He urged them to continue participating in similar ecosystems. “The world does not need more people who simply achieve,” he said. “The world needs people who contribute, who lead and serve as stewards for their communities.”
The next two speeches, given by senior class advisors Sarah Hagge and Janis Boubol, also highlighted the importance of the graduates as community members.
“When students like you accept the challenge to be considerate neighbors,” said Hagge, “you get to appreciate the people with you in classrooms, on athletic fields and trails, in the band and art rooms, on the stage, on a packed school bus.”
Salutatorian Alexsandra Cirovic and Valedictorian Schuyler Hagge, who are headed, respectively, to Colgate University and George Washington University in the fall, also gave speeches. These were interspersed with a choral performance of Pinkzebra’s “Fly Away Home” and a recitation of Woodstock’s Alma Mater, recited by seniors Sophia Rosenbach, Owen Whalen, Joaquin Jones-Walker, and Jacob Legayada. “Our strong bond can never be broken,” declared the four students in unison.
At the end of the ceremony, Cinquemani welcomed the graduating class to participate in one more memory together. The students stood and came up to receive their diplomas along with hugs, handshakes, and fist bumps from the faculty who had supported them along their journeys. After the entire class had been called, Superintendent Sherry Sousa announced the class of 2026’s official graduation from Woodstock Union High School.
Woodstock Union High School class of 2026: May Alexander, Vermont State University, veterinary medicine; Cameron Allard; Brody Allen, Northeastern University, political science and economics; Alexis Audsley, University of Hawaii at Manou, marine biology; Jessica Baumann, University of Southern Maine, sociology; Annesonia Beardsley; Gianni Blanchard, Montana State University, nursing; Oliver Boswell, Middlebury College; Sadie Boulbol, Tufts University, international relations/environmental studies; Samuel Bowdoin; Kaitlyn Burres, UMass Amherst, clinical psychology; Sierra Bystrak, Union College, psychology; Maxwell Carey, Coastal Carolina, exercise and sports science; Aleksandra Cirovic, Colgate University, environmental economics; Ian Coates, Providence College, finance; Finnbarr Costello, Dartmouth College, physics; Christopher Cueva, University of Denver, finance; Jake Decicco; Kyler Eaton, University of Vermont; Quinn Eckler; Asher Emery, Coastal Carolina University, business administration; Marlena Farinas, Lehigh University, mechanical engineering; Milo Farrington; Tucker Filiault; Anna Fink, University of Richmond, biology; Lia Gugliotta, Wellesley College; Schuyler Hagge, George Washington University, environmental and sustainability science; Samuel Hauze, Clark University, interactive media (2D art); Asher Hewitt, Lincoln Tech Denver, welding; Ian Hewitt; Evangeline Jenne, college or school; Harmony Johnson, workforce, cosmetology; Joaquin Jones-Welker, University of Vermont, political science/EMS minor; Miriam Kanda-Olmstead, Smith College, art history; Agnes Kardashian, University of Vermont, biology; Tula Klock, Falmouth University, musical theater; Maggie Knox, Salve Regina University, nursing; Bonnie Kranz, University of Colorado Boulder, physiology; Kody Lantiegne, University of Vermont, environmental science; Rowan Larmie, Paul Smith’s College, forest management; Jacob Legayada, Providence College, management; Calvin Lehouiller; Gabriella Lockhart, Community College of Vermont, sonography; Jesse Magner, workforce, boilermaker, joining Local 647; Chelsea McDermott, University of Vermont, deferred for travel; Brody McGaffigan, UMass Amherst, communications; Leeland Montag; Dexter Namkung, Georgia Institute of Technology, math; Riley O’Neal, Clarkson University, business administration; Aksel Oates, St. Olaf College, possibly architecture; Marley Olmstead; Dominic Palazzo, Community College of Vermont, mechanical engineering; Zachary Peterman, Elon University, marketing; Ethan Rebentisch, University of Vermont, psychiatry; Daxton Redmond, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, mechanical engineering; Priscilla Richardson, University of Vermont, environmental science; Willow Roberts; Sophia Rosenbach, Heidelberg University in Germany, biochemistry/archeology; Maeve Roylance, University of Michigan, neuroscience; Helen Sluka, Lehigh University, environmental studies; Paige Stone, Fitchburg State University, construction management; Liam Stoner, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, nuclear engineering; Bethany Thorburn; Max van der Schoot, College of Charleston, business and psychology; Caleigh Webb; Beck Welch, University of North Dakota, commercial aviation; Owen Whalen; Corinne White, McGill University, animal health and disease sciences; Eleanor Williams, University of Vermont; Chiara Winawer-Stein; Leo Winawer-Stein, University of Vermont, psychology; and Mia Zilian, Middlebury College, environmental studies.
