HACKLEY HACKLEY REVIEW
COMMENCEMENT SUPPLEMENT 2026
As we look back on the 2025-2026 school year, we are filled with admiration for the remarkable ways Hackley Hornets unite to achieve, care and grow More, together. Throughout the year, we have seen a community defined by generosity, purpose and connection, in everyday moments of kindness and in the friendships formed on the Hilltop. This Commencement Supplement honors those experiences and the people who share them. In the pages that follow, we invite you to celebrate the Hackley Community.
Table of Contents The Year in Visual Arts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Year in Performing Arts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Year in Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Fourth Grade Recognition Ceremony . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Eighth Grade Recognition Ceremony . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Cum Laude Address. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Senior Dinner Address. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Class Day Awards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 2025-2026 Athletics Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Community Council 2025-2026. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Salutatory Address. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Valedictory Address. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Commencement Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Congratulations to the Class of 2026!. . . . . . . . . . . . 53
į To view 2025-2026 photo galleries, visit the Hackley Smugmug site at hackleyschool.smugmug.com. Current community members may also access the galleries through their division pages in Hackley Online under Parent Resources.
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The Year in Visual Arts
Lower School Art Show
Maddie Edwards ’27 Studio Art Intensive
Visit hackleyschool.smugmug.com to see the visual arts galleries
Leila Dillow ’26 AP Studio Art
Fiona Pedraza ’26 AP Studio Art
James Marra ’26 AP Photography
Kareena Parasnis ’26 AP Studio Art
Middle School Art Show
Lower School Art Show
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The Year in Visual Arts
Alexa G. ’31 Visual Arts Major
Ben Nadorf ’26 AP Studio Art
Riyaan Ratliff ’26 AP Photography
Upper School Art Show
Mariyam Henderson ’26 AP Photography
Lower School Art Show
Keira Parasnis ’26 AP Studio Art
Lower School Art Show
Upper School Art Show
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The Year in Visual Arts
Anna S. ’32 Sixth Grade Art
Upper School Art Show
Jack Hiscoe ’26 AP Studio Art
Kalin Huang ’26 AP Photography
Gus E. ’32 Sixth Grade Art
Ella Chen ’26 AP Studio Art
Heidi Chen ’28 Intermediate Studio Art
Middle School Art Show
Jordan LaRoche ’26 AP Studio Art
Lower School Art Show
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The Year in Visual Arts
Lower School Art Show
Upper School Art Show
Lily Adamski ’26 AP Studio Art
Sydney Morris ’26 AP Studio Art
Lower School Art Show
Upper School Art Show
Bode Cice ’26 AP Studio Art
Upper School Art Show
Char I. ’30 Visual Arts Minor
Lower School Art Show
Nkechi Ude ’26 AP Studio Art
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The Year in Performing Arts
Upper School Musical: “The Addams Family”
Middle and Upper School Choral Ensembles
Upper School Chamber Concert
Visit hackleyschool.smugmug.com to see the performing arts galleries
Upper School Play: “Anon(ymous)”
Kindergarten Collage Concert
Third Grade Spanish Cultural Performance
Fifth and Sixth Grade Musical: “Imagine A Dragon”
Middle School Acting Intensive Showcase
Lower School Winter Concert
Middle School Strings Spring Concert
Jazz Combos Spring Concert
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The Year in Performing Arts
Second Grade Play
Fourth Grade Americana Play
Upper School Chorus Spring Concert
Upper School Chamber Ensembles Spring Concert
Upper School Acting Showcase
Middle School Strings Winter Concert
First Grade Flat Stanley
Middle School Chorus Concert
Upper School Jazz Combos
Middle and Upper School Bands Spring Concert
Middle School Band
Third and Fourth Grade Strings and Tone Chimes Concert
Upper School Band Ensembles
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The Year in Athletics
Girls’ Varsity Basketball had a competitive season led by their senior captains. The team faced many tough matchups but continued to improve with each game, showing strong teamwork and resilience. Through hard work and determination, HGVB finished fourth in the league and earned a spot in the playoffs, advancing to the first round. Throughout the season, the team showed dedication, teamwork and pride every time they stepped onto the court.
Visit hackleyschool.smugmug.com to see the athletics galleries
Boys’ Varsity Tennis finished fifth in the Ivy League this year. The team introduced four new starters at various positions, who all gained valuable experience in their first varsity matches. The team also sent their No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles players to the NYSAIS tournament, both of whom finished in the quarterfinals. Finally, the No. 1 singles player was named 1st Team All-Ivy League.
The Varsity Football team opened its season with five straight wins, coming away with a 5-2 record in the regular season. The Hornets battled hard but ultimately lost in the first round of playoffs.
Boys’ Varsity Swimming had an outstanding performance at the NYSAIS Championships, placing eighth overall, with one swimmer medaling in the 200 and 500 Free. The team also placed fourth overall at the Ivy Championships, with that same swimmer taking All-League honors in the 500 free.
The Varsity Cross Country team crowned a girls’ Ivy League Champion and missed winning the team championship by one point, with the girls’ team also placing third at NYSAIS. Additionally, the Hornets earned four 1st Team and one 2nd Team All-Ivy League honors.
For the first time ever, both the boys’ and girls’ Varsity Track and Field teams won the Ivy League Championships in the same year. Hackley crowned six individual Ivy Champions and one Ivy Champion relay team. At the NYSAIS Championships, the Hornets finished in the top four out of approximately 30 teams and crowned two individual champions and one relay champion team, with all three setting new NYSAIS Championships meet records. Hackley also qualified three individuals and two relay teams for the New York Federation Meet, where the Hornets crowned two All-State individual performances, with two individuals and three relay teams qualifying to compete at the New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia.
The Girls’ Varsity Squash team demonstrated great teamwork and showed immense progress in their skills this year, ending the regular season with a dominating 11-5 record and earning the team’s fourth consecutive Ivy League win.
Girls’ Varsity Soccer finished the regular season with a 12-1-2 record, scoring 54 goals and earning 12 shutouts. The Hornets made it to the semifinals of NYSAIS as the No. 2 seed.
The Varsity Baseball team enjoyed one of its most successful and memorable seasons in recent years, earning a playoff berth and reestablishing a strong culture of pride, resilience and teamwork within the program. The team finished with a strong 8-6 regular-season record and won its first playoff game in several years before battling the No. 2 seed in a hard-fought second-round NYSAIS playoff matchup. Beyond the wins and losses, the season was highlighted by strong team chemistry, leadership from returning players, and a renewed sense of belief in what Hackley Baseball can accomplish. The team finished the year with a deep sense of pride in what it achieved and optimism for the future of the program.
The Girls’ Varsity Golf team, while it may have been small, was definitely mighty. The season ended on a good note with several wins and ties, and several players going on to compete in the NYSAIS tournament. One player also qualified for the Federation. While two golfers graduated, their dedication and commitment to the program will continue to inspire the returning players.
Girls’ Varsity Tennis had a fantastic season, defined by hard work, strong skills and close-knit camaraderie. Led by two outstanding senior captains, the team finished second in the Ivy League after a close championship loss. The season featured countless wins, including Hackley’s first-ever girls’ NYSAIS singles champion and seven players earning 1st or 2nd Team All-Ivy League honors.
Boys’ Varsity Soccer ended its season fifth in the Ivy Preparatory School League, improving the team’s place in the league for a second year in a row. The Hornets narrowly missed out on the NYSAIS tournament, but showed heart all year long and earned great results against strong opponents. The highlight of the season was the 3-2, comefrom-behind, extra-time win at Fall Sting.
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The Year in Athletics
The Varsity Softball team ended the season with a record of 8-6, finished third in the Ivy League and seeded fourth in the state tournament. The team battled every game and never gave up. The Hornets were led by two 1st Team All-Ivy League players and also had a player named 2nd Team All-Ivy League.
Varsity Wrestling had a successful season, finishing with an 11-6 record and placing second overall at NYSAIS Championships. The team crowned two NYSAIS champions and an Ivy League champion, placing third overall in the Ivy Championships, with 12 of the 16 Hornets able to compete medaling. The Hornets also sent three wrestlers to the New York State Federation Championships in Albany, and had one freshman wrestler named All-American at the NHSCA Wrestling Nationals Championships.
The Indoor Varsity Track and Field team had a great season, setting and breaking many records. The girls’ spring medley relay team was awarded “All American” status, the first time in school history. At the Ivy Championships, the team took third (girls’) and fifth (boys’) overall, with one Hornet dominating in the weighted throw and winning the Ivy title, and another bringing home the gold in the 600 meter. Two runners also broke the indoor 800m records and both by almost eight seconds at Ocean Breeze.
The Boys’ Varsity Basketball team made Hackley proud this year. After a 6-10 start to the season, the boys came together for an incredible win versus a tough rival, which started an endof-season run where the Hornets won six of eight games. The team’s senior leaders stepped up this year, asking questions, challenging teammates appropriately, and showing that they were willing to do whatever necessary to make the team successful. The season ended on a NYSAIS semifinal loss to an impressive rival team. The Hornets were successful because of how the team stayed consistent, never wavered and continued to improve every day.
Varsity Field Hockey had an incredible season, going undefeated in the Ivy League and ultimately winning the Ivy title. The team also earned the No. 2 seed for NYSAIS Championships and came in second.
Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse put up a valiant post-season run, ultimately losing in the finals. Additionally, five players were named 1st Team and one 2nd Team All-Ivy League, with one senior earning U.S. Lacrosse Academic All-American honors.
Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse rolled into the playoffs this year with an impressive 11-1 league record and won their second consecutive NYSAIS Championship with an 1814 victory. The win was the team’s ninth title since the inception of the tournament in 2010. Three seniors were honored with U.S. Lacrosse Awards, with one earning Academic All-American and another All-American honors. Additionally, five players were named 1st Team and one 2nd Team All-Ivy League.
Boys’ Varsity Squash continued its success into the 2025-2026 season, ending the regular season with an 8-4 record. The Hornets won their fifth consecutive Ivy League title and finished second in NYSAIS for a second consecutive season. The team also competed in Division 2 at the High School Nationals, ranking T-31st in the nation.
The Boys’ Varsity Golf team finished the season with a 7-8 record and fourth place in Ivy League standings. Although the Hornets fell short of winning the league this year, the team has a lot of young talented players returning in 2027, including two players who earned 2nd Team All-Ivy League honors.
Girls’ Varsity Swimming claimed Hackley’s first NYSAIS title this year. With a dominating performance, the team won the Championships by more than 100 points and broke a few records to help solidify the historic nature of this team. The girls also crowned five individual champions at the Ivy League Championship — two relay champions and 13 All-League recipients — with three Ivy League records falling. This is the third consecutive year the girls have won the Ivy team title.
Varsity Fencing had an incredible showing at the ISFL Individual Championships, with six fencers medaling at the tournament. The Hornets also fared extremely well at this year’s NYSAIS Fencing Championships, held at Hackley. The boys’ team claimed second place overall and the girls’ team third place overall. The boys’ saber team won their second weapon title in as many years.
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HACKLEY REVIEW COMMENCEMENT SUPPLEMENT 2026
click here for photo gallery
Fourth Grade Recognition Day Lisa Oberstein Director of the Lower School Lisa Oberstein celebrated the Class of 2034 at the Recognition Ceremony held on June 2, 2026.
Good morning, families, faculty, staff, guests and students! We are so excited to gather today in Diller Hall — joined by our entire Lower School community — to celebrate the Class of 2034. Welcome, everyone! We all know and cherish our Hackley values. In the Lower School, we love them so much that this year we chose to use them as our Character Education virtues. These values have guided our year together and are the common thread that connects us all and helps us build a vibrant community. When I first thought about this class, I was certain that Enter Here to Be and Find a Friend was the value that best defined you. You care deeply about one another. You literally light up when you see your friends. You have welcomed every new student who joined your class so warmly that even those who arrived in third or fourth grade seem as though they have always been part of this community. As one of your fourth-grade teachers reminds us, “Even if you have the greatest of friends, branch out and make new ones. You never know what you will discover about them — and about yourself — in the process.” Then, as I reflected more, I wondered whether Character Is Higher Than Intellect might be the value that defines this class. As a group, you have a strong sense of curiosity and an enthusiasm for learning. In science, Mrs. Gold says your work ethic sets you apart.
She shared, “We did so many things that seemed overwhelming or daunting — owl pellet dissections, tests and science projects — and you rose to the occasion every time. You can do anything you put your mind to, even when it feels hard. Remember how good those accomplishments feel, and keep putting in that effort every day, even when something seems scary or intimidating.” There is also a strong case for United, We Help One Another. One teacher shared that this is the defining value of this grade. “Each fourth grader is a leader in their own way. If someone has a talent for solving math problems, they help others by giving clues rather than answers. If someone is learning a new game, they patiently explain the rules. They work productively in groups and understand the importance of sharing the spotlight.” As readers, you don’t just love hearing about new books; you can’t wait to recommend them to others. You never miss an opportunity to lend a helping hand to Ms. Lynskey or bring a friend in need of a bag of ice to the office.
F O U R T H G R A D E R E C O G N I T I O N D AY
Another teacher, who had the privilege of working with you for two years, shared, “Whenever there would be a mishap, a swath of kids would rush to help, with no reward expected.” She recalled that one of the moments that convinced her to work at Hackley was learning about an injured student who received a collection of get-well cards from classmates and, in return, turned around and wrote a note of thanks to his class. On the day of her interview, she received three handwritten notes from students simply expressing their excitement about having her as a teacher. She concluded, “I could list each child in the cohort by name with a corresponding anecdote of humor and generosity. They are innate helpers, and the world needs more people like them.” And that brings us to our fourth value: Go Forth and Spread Beauty and Light. This is the value we celebrate today as you leave the Lower School and prepare for all that awaits you in fifth grade. You may feel excited. You may feel nervous. You may even feel a little bit of both, and that’s perfectly normal. But don’t worry, you have been practicing this value all year long. You spread beauty and light when you visit your kindergarten buddies — when you read with them, send them notes, hold their hands in the hallway and play games together at Extended Day. You spread beauty and light when you make sure the recess
equipment is put away before the last student comes inside. You spread beauty and light when you clear your table at lunch — and sometimes your friend’s table, too. These small moments make a difference — in the hallway, on the playground, in the classroom and at lunch. Day after day, those small acts have made this community a better place. You have made this community a better place.
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HACKLEY REVIEW COMMENCEMENT SUPPLEMENT 2026
The truth is that after thinking about all four values, I realized I had been asking the wrong question. The question was never which value defines this class. The answer is that this class embodies all of them. You are kind friends. You are people of character. You help one another. And you spread beauty and light wherever you go. Middle School will bring new teachers, new expectations and new opportunities, but it will also bring the chance to become even more fully yourselves. As you move on to fifth grade, carry these values with you. They will help you navigate new challenges, form new friendships and discover new strengths within yourselves. Most importantly, they will help you continue to make your community stronger, kinder and brighter. Before I conclude, I’d like to share some advice from a group of people who have looked up to you all year long — your kindergarten buddies. They will surely miss you next year, but they also have some wisdom they’d like you to take with you. From KAR: • Try your best and never give up! • Stop, think and act! • Have self-control. • Try to encourage yourself.
• Always remember the sign at school “Enter here to be and find a friend.” Even if you’re sad, and you’re missing anyone, just try to think about them. Your kindergarten buddies will stay with you no matter where you are. From KDP: • Remember that your friends are going to be there with you, but make new friends, and share your friendships with others. • Remember you can always come back to the Lower School to say hi! • You can do hard things! • You are very smart. • It’s OK to make mistakes. Your brain will grow! • You’ve earned it! Students, you have earned this special day. Your teachers, parents, family members and friends are all very proud of you and wish you all the best as you move on from the Lower School. On behalf of the fourth grade class, I would like to thank all of the faculty and staff who have supported you on your Lower School journey. Fourth graders, take a moment to turn to your families and teachers — the people who have cheered you on — and give them a big round of applause for all their love and support. Congratulations, Class of 2034. We are so proud of you.
Kindergarteners celebrate their fourth grade buddies with a musical performance at the Fourth Grade Recognition Ceremony on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.
F O U R T H G R A D E R E C O G N I T I O N D AY
Respect By 4C, Hackley Class of 2034 Filling someone’s bucket means filling yours, too Leading the Lower School is what we do If you meet a new kid at school, You can invite them to the pool It’s the simple things that make someone’s day So go ahead and act in a kind way Enter Here to Be and Find a Friend Doing the smallest things Can make a big difference Planting seeds in the garden Helping out in the orchard Donating food to the Carver Center United, We Help One Another Character is higher than intellect Kind will be remembered over smart Students and staff follow this motto And they really take it to heart Integrity, respect, kindness, and effort And don’t forget to be humble Or your friends will begin to grumble Character Is Higher Than Intellect
4C, Class of 2034
Ema B. ’34 recites 4C’s class poem “Respect” at the Fourth Grade Recognition Ceremony.
4th graders spread beauty and light, every day, and every night Americana, art show, and concerts, what a delight At recess in the Lower School, we are inclusive to all Smiling, and giving compliments are what we look forward to doing in the fall Go Forth and Spread Beauty and Light
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HACKLEY REVIEW COMMENCEMENT SUPPLEMENT 2026
We Can Do Hard Things By 4K, Hackley Class of 2034 We are… Fourth-grade buddies and leaders of this school Readers, mathematicians, theirstorians Collaborators, scholars, performers, athletes, and friends Giving it our all. We are proud. We can do hard things. Theirstorical fiction picture books, persuasive essays and biographies Poetry that expresses and reveals Reading responses with evidence and quotes Long division (which seemed impossible at first) All those quizzes! We can do hard things. Along the way, we made mistakes — a lot of them! And learned that “perfect” wasn’t the goal… Effort, Perseverance, Character Over Intellect, and “The smartest people use the tools they need to solve the problem.” We can do hard things. If we could go back in time… We’d return to kindergarten or our first year at Hackley When we entered to be and find friends We’d savor and appreciate it more Back to Philadelphia, our first Sting, Trip Around the World, the Americana We know we can’t go back, But we will treasure these memories As we take on more hard things.
4K, Class of 2034
Ava L. ’34 recites 4K’s class poem “We Can Do Hard Things” at the Fourth Grade Recognition Ceremony.
Now, we look forward… A BIGGER building, BIGGER lockers, BIGGER dining room! More opportunities to discover our interests and each other More independence; No more walking in lines! Different teachers for each subject; Español mas complejo! The Tuck! But none of this would be possible without… Every Lower School teacher who helped us learn and grow, Who prepared our hearts and minds for Middle School… To our parents who gave us this Lower School opportunity And supported us as we did the hard things… To everyone who believed in us, corrected us, and encouraged us… We say, “Thank you!” as we go forth and spread beauty and light in the Middle School!
F O U R T H G R A D E R E C O G N I T I O N D AY
Character Is Higher Than Intellect By 4S, Hackley Class of 2034 In the 4S classroom, there are many familiar faces, Learning together about people, stories, and places. From pencils scribbling to basketballs dribbling, Our days have been filled with fun, joy, and hard work. When someone falls, we help them back up. When someone feels sad, there’s always someone to lift them. In kindergarten, everything felt brand new, And Middle School may feel that way, too. Our classroom has had its ups and downs, But in the end, we all wear crowns. Not because we are perfect, as you might expect, But because we learned that kindness matters more than intellect. Humor fills our classroom walls and halls, Bringing joy to ordinary moments, big and small. Empathy became natural; it’s simply in the air, Because good friends helped us learn how to care. Through sun and snow, into Middle School we go, With friendships we hope will continue to grow. Although we may leave 4S behind, Its door will stay open in our hearts and minds.
4S, Class of 2034
Arthur B. ’34 recites 4S’s class poem “Character Is Higher Than Intellect” at the Fourth Grade Recognition Ceremony.
We will grow, we will change, and say goodbye to Lower School, But the character we built here will remain our greatest tool. We’ve learned that kindness and friendship deserve our respect, Helping each other is what we’ve come to expect. Because in 4S, Character Is Higher Than Intellect.
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HACKLEY REVIEW COMMENCEMENT SUPPLEMENT 2026
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Eighth Grade Recognition Day Sharon Lin The Class of 2030 selected Middle School teacher Sharon Lin as the faculty speaker for their Recognition Ceremony held on June 1, 2026.
Good morning, families, faculty and our guests of honor. It feels truly special for me to stand up here and share this moment with you — among the many people who have guided and supported you through your Middle School journey. For many of you, we started at Hackley’s Middle School at the same time four years ago. You as a brighteyed fifth grader with your giant backpack — a shorter, less organized version of yourself today, traversing the halls of Saperstein for the very first time. And me — more organized, a little older than you and maybe a little taller too, but not by much — also traversing the halls of Saperstein for the very first time. My path to Hackley was unconventional. I was born and raised in Queens, attended public schools, then studied finance and management at NYU before beginning my career at JPMorgan. So to be on this stage with all of you feels like a gift — one that I was both nervous and excited to receive. And to have been selected to speak today by so many of you is an honor. Before I walked into Saperstein, I worked in the financial world at banks and hedge funds. The work was intellectually stimulating, and I met some great people, but something always felt like it was missing — some lack of fulfillment, some wonder about whether I could be doing work that was more
impactful. So I tried to fill that void by mentoring high school students or teaching financial literacy. And I would say one day, I will do work that is more meaningful. One day, I will make a real impact. But one day has a funny way of staying in the future, seemingly just out of reach. One day became three years, when I left JPMorgan to join a multi-strategy hedge fund. One day became 10 more years, when I joined a distressed credit fund. Then one day, I took one small step. I signed up for a math course. Then another. Then I applied to graduate school for a master’s in Math Education. Then one day, I mustered the courage to quit my finance job, when some (like my in-laws) thought it was irresponsible to leave a career I had spent nearly 20 years building. One day, I applied to be a teacher at Hackley. And had I not had the courage to turn one day into Day One of this new career path, I would not have witnessed how you’ve grown in character these four
E I G H T H G R A D E R E C O G N I T I O N D AY
years. I would not have seen you notice a classmate sitting alone at lunch then inviting him to a lunch club and to sit with you. I would not have witnessed your culinary creativity like the delicious treat created in the Hackley Dining Hall from a roll, butter and sugar, gently caramelized on the panini press, or the delicacy of Hackley chips covered in melted cheese. I would not have been there to see you challenge yourself on a high ropes course, whether that was taking a few steps further up the ladder than you had previously or completing the entire course, blindfolded. I would not have seen you show up for a friend who was going through a rough time, even when you didn’t have the right words to say, but you were there. Instead, I was here to witness you supporting each other in the classroom when a classmate had trouble with a concept. I got to be a part of your “aha” moments when a challenging problem suddenly became clear. I watched in awe as you formed lunch clubs, organized events — including a fantastic eighth grade dance — and started a band! Still, you probably have your own version of “one day.” One day, I’ll clean out my backpack. One day, I’ll annotate that history reading with more detail. One day, I’ll come home, have a snack, put my phone away, stop procrastinating and start my homework right away. One day, I’ll invite an acquaintance to hang out and make a true friend. One day, I’ll have the courage to — fill in the blank. One day, I’ll make a difference. So here is what I want to leave with you as you enter Upper School and pursue whatever extraordinary chapter comes next: “One day” is a wish. “Day One” is a decision. Day One doesn’t need to look like completing the ropes course blindfolded. It may just be one rung up the ladder. Your “day one” may be spending three minutes organizing those crumpled up worksheets in your backpack or striking up a conversation
with a new student. But, if you string enough of those decisions together — made consistently, yet imperfectly and sometimes nervously — you will look up one day and realize that you have accomplished something really meaningful. So, instead of “ONE DAY,” let today be “DAY ONE.” Congratulations, almost Upper Schoolers! It has been so rewarding to make this leap and to learn alongside you. I can’t wait to see what you accomplish next!
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Eighth Grade Recognition Day Henry K. ’30 The Class of 2030 selected Henry K. ’30 as the student speaker for their Recognition Ceremony held on June 1, 2026.
For those of you who might not know me, my name is Henry. I am a Lifer here at Hackley, and I had the honor to be elected by my classmates to speak at this momentous occasion. “Fight Club,” “The Good Place,” “Gone Girl.” It seems like everywhere you look, there’s a show, movie or book hinged on a plot twist. In these stories, we love plot twists. As a culture, we’re obsessed with stories taking an unexpected turn that make us rethink the entire plot. Who hasn’t had a moment where they went “ohhhh” at the end of a really good mystery? But the thing that I’ve been thinking about is plot twists in our lives. We love when something unexpected happens on the page or screen, yet when things don’t go to plan in our lives, we shut down. We try as hard as possible to get back to the imagined “right track.” But here’s the thing: we should embrace these plot twists. Remember those shows, movies and books that I named earlier? I want you to think of your favorite plot twist. Got it? Great. Now, I want you to imagine these stories without it. They aren’t the same, are they? Some might hinge on the change in the story, while others would not be nearly as memorable without it. And that’s true for our lives as well. Things not going to plan often leads to new adventures, to experiences that we wouldn’t have otherwise. The biggest plot twist in many of our lives was probably the COVID-19 pandemic. I remember, way back in second grade, not realizing how big of a deal COVID would be, how much it would change the course of our lives.
When we went to online school, first for a few weeks, then for the rest of the year, none of us were ready for or expecting it. And it was hard. I get a feeling of claustrophobia whenever I think about the pandemic, that idea of being trapped inside for fear of infection. But we learned from COVID. During the pandemic, the illustrator and children’s book author Mo Willems held free, online drawing classes that I often did during my lunch break. As I drew cartoons with him, I slowly began to develop drawing skills that I use today. Those of you who have gotten my homemade birthday cards? You have Mo Willems’ art classes to thank for planting the seed that blossomed into those notes. I think about how I had to adapt to make Zoom school work. I needed to, from a very early age, learn about technology, which made the transition into the more tech-heavy Middle School seamless. And, as strange as it sounds, I think this separation strengthened my friendships. I remember riding bikes in deserted parking lots with a friend, just to see him and get out of the house. I remember FaceTiming him at a certain character’s death in the sixth Harry Potter book. Even if you weren’t at Hackley back then, I’m sure you can recall the creativity, resilience and commitment to “normalcy” that came with the pandemic, however
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The Class of 2030 gathers on the Johnson Courtyard steps on Recognition Day.
unexpected it was. Who was guessing, back in 2020, that we were going to deal with a global pandemic? But COVID brought out the best in people, like Mo Willems, who wanted to give kids something to do during this dark time, or parents who didn’t want a pandemic to stop human connection, even if you had to stay six feet apart. And it showed us what we were capable of. If we could make it through a pandemic, what couldn’t we do? But this was a long time ago, in the scheme of our short lives thus far. While I can’t speak from experience, I know that many of you have broken, fractured, or strained a bone or tendon over the last few years. That’s certainly a plot twist. No one really expects to end up in the hospital with a wrist that doesn’t function, do they? Yet I’ve spoken to a few of my classmates who have broken a bone, and they’ve mentioned how it taught them to appreciate their fully functioning bodies, even though it surprised them and derailed their plans for a few months. These are just a few examples of plot twists. And there are certainly more to come. As we enter high school, there’s no doubt that we’re going to deal with some unexpected changes that might throw us off the planned course of our lives. And that’s OK.
As we enter the next stage, as we start high school, whether that’s at Hackley or elsewhere, I encourage everyone here to think of the changes in our lives not as obstacles to overcome, but as plot twists, crucial to the story of our lives. To close, I want to mention a quote that, when I was talking through my speech with Mr. Ogden, he brought up. In his poem “To a Mouse,” Robert Burns writes, “The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men/Gang aft agley”; or, in modern English, “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” And that’s certainly true. Even if we plan, even if we have a vision, that doesn’t mean that everything will fall into place. I don’t believe that we can just manifest what we want in life. We’re inevitably going to face challenges that might make our plans go awry. But you know what? We’re going to look back after high school and think of the plot twists that we faced. And we’ll realize that we are all the better for them. Be open minded. Lean into the plot twists. Because plot twists help us learn about ourselves and open us up to some of the most meaningful experiences in our lives.
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The Class of 2026 gathers for a group photo at the start of their final year on the Hilltop.
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Cum Laude Address Dr. Richard A. Robinson Dr. Richard A. Robinson offered this year’s cum laude address. “Doc Rob,” as just about everyone at Hackley calls him, earned his bachelor’s in English at Princeton University and his master’s and doctorate in English at the University of Virginia. While in Virginia, he was a guide and tour supervisor at Monticello: Home of Thomas Jefferson, where he was among the first plantation community guides to discuss the realities of life for enslaved African Americans on that plantation. Since he came to Hackley in autumn of 1997, Doc Rob taught English in the Upper School and offered a variety of minors, including “The Literature of Social Comment” with Vladimir Klimenko and Dr. Adrianne Pierce, and “Rome and the Idea of Citizenship” with Erica Jablon and Christoper Sheppard. Doc Rob also served as English Department chair for over 20 years. Retiring in 2026 after 29 years at Hackley, he lives by Seneca’s motto, “Ancora imparo,” which translates to, “Still, I am learning.”
Our Norwich Terrier Mickey died last spring from kidney failure caused by his cancer meds. I learned how to administer infusions of Lactated Ringer’s Solution to assist his struggling kidneys by diluting accumulating toxins. Twice a day, I inserted a hypodermic nearly as thick as the needle of a turkey-baster into the scruff of his neck. On day two, he watched closely as I unwrapped a clean needle. He growled, then slowly approached and offered the back of his neck. In his last days, he learned to be an active patient helping manage his health. Like our Silky Terrier Angelo before him, Mickey realized as a pup that he could exploit my use of words. Like Angelo, he taught himself to pop up on hind legs, put front paws on my knee and stare at me — so I learned to ask, “Do you want a treat? . . . walkies? . . . tug-o’-war?” In reply, he would stop me by patting my knee furiously to indicate, for example, “That! The walkies thing!” Sometimes I’d finish the
list to no pat, so I’d try new words. Word by word, we grew our lists. I learned from dogs who daily grew as thinkers. If you wonder why your Cum Laude speaker is babbling about dogs, I am here to propose that if terriers with walnut-sized brains can be lifelong learners, we who have brains more like cantaloupes really should emulate dogs. This requires us to think about thinking. Our cantaloupe brains may not serve us so well as the terrier’s walnut serves the terrier. Our brains rationalize laziness. Eighteenth-century painter Joshua Reynolds warned that in art and morals we must not create busywork to escape “the real labor of
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thinking.” We all know both students and professors who research obscure details of loosely related topics when they know they are ready to write — writing being a uniquely human mode of thinking. Sadly, a grad school friend accumulated 12 incompletes in two years this way. Lifelong learning requires real labor. Lifelong learning means embracing feedback, admitting error, making course corrections. Still, we all know those who insist that seeking feedback or advice reveals we’re afraid we don’t know what we’re doing, that accepting feedback or advice reveals we really don’t know what we are doing, and that admitting we’re wrong is a sign of weakness. They don’t see that if we took them at their word, we’d have to ignore their advice. Amazing what you cannot see when you will not admit you’re wrong! Indeed, their refusals to accept feedback, admit error or coursecorrect reveal they know they’re wrong: they lie to themselves by doubling down. Lifelong learning demands we be intellectually open and honest — especially with ourselves. Intellectual openness and honesty challenge those so complacent that it never occurs to them to question themselves or try to grow. Looking at my own work and saying, “Damn, I’m good,” pretty well kills my growth. We grow best when we feel lively skepticism toward our own brilliance. Lifelong learning asks us to get over ourselves.
Our culture balks at complexity. When two truths contradict, we try to make one go away. We force truths into neat binaries: facts must go all one way or the other according to our biases. Ask ninth graders, who’s to blame in Romeo and Juliet? Individualists blame the parents, rule-followers blame the kids, moralists blame the kids for their being hormonal, romantics blame everyone but the kids, others blame Friar Lawrence and Juliet’s Nurse. But parents, kids, Friar, Nurse — in fact, most everyone in Verona — all make phenomenally bad choices. No one is wholly to blame, no one is wholly innocent; and as the Prince says at the end, “All are punished.” Either/or thinking does not describe this play. Friar Lawrence reflects that nothing is so vile it cannot produce benefit, nothing so good it cannot produce harm. Such both/and thinking does describe this play in which parents’ hate spawns children’s love and the Friar’s and Nurse’s good intentions cause the children’s deaths. Both/and thinking fosters nuance and complexity. Since few things worth learning are simple, lifelong learning requires both/and thinking — especially when there are more truths than two — which there generally are. I believe all thinking creatures hunger for intellectual stimulation. The other day, a neighbor took a box from her car and placed it on the ground, whereupon her aging Bichon Frisé stuck his nose into it. She
Seniors cheer on their peers at the Cum Laude Society induction ceremony.
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forward, down, backward, up and over again, with the result that while the energy imparted to the surface of the ocean by the wind moves toward land, the water itself remains where it is. Too often we are that water, driven in circles of high and low by emotion, never propelled forward. We do not grow. We all know those who crave excitement. Having experienced the rush they sought, they seek a new one. I had a friend who kept pushing his ’85 Saab Turbo to higher speeds on the Route 250 Bypass around Senior Mason Lee performs at the Cum Laude Society induction ceremony. Charlottesville, Virginia. At one point, he set 110 miles per hour as his goal. I recall his delight the day he did it. And I said, “No treats there,” but he kept looking. He didn’t recall that the next day he was striving for 120. He was think he smelled treats; he was hungry to know, moved, but not propelled forward. The same is true for “What’s in the box, Mom?” Most of us know memes those with successes who feel they have accomplished depicting a dog on a ruined sofa claiming, “I swear, nothing, those who seek power but find no amount of it just exploded!” But sofapocalypse isn’t misdirected clout can satisfy, those who move from high-paying job predatory instinct; it’s the curiosity of a deeply bored to higher-paying job but never feel they make enough. dog demanding satisfaction. Their unsatisfied appetites should tell them they need to change their mental diet. Like dogs, we all hunger to know what’s inside things, how they work. As a child allowed access to tools, I divided free time among reading, bicycling with friends Before someone concludes a soon-to-be-former English teacher is telling you that you shouldn’t be a and taking apart household devices. Fortunately for my parents, I put most of the devices back together. I taught lawyer, doctor, executive or tech innovator, please take a breath. I am saying you never will be satisfied in myself to repair bicycles, rewire appliances, patch rusty any profession if you do not grow intellectually. Don’t auto fenders, overhaul manual transmissions, restore learn enough to earn a paycheck; learn enough to be fountain pens — you name it. I indulged my appetite, the best lawyer, doctor, executive or tech innovator never felt bored, never went mentally hungry. you can be. Then learn more. Propel yourself forward. Grow! I consider curiosity a craving and boredom full-on hunger pangs. Just as our stomachs tell us what we My dad is 93. He started as a visual artist, taught art, need, so do our minds. We should feed our minds became an administrator and, in retirement, returned nutritious things, but society teaches us to misunderto art. As an administrator, he attended conferences, stand our appetites; it overvalues excitement, success, read books on education, earned a PhD and brought power and wealth, which cannot satisfy our minds. all that to school. As an artist, he continues to paint, Those things move us emotionally but do not propel study the work of others, experiment with their us forward intellectually. They do not help us grow. techniques and invent his own. He reads about nature, science, history, politics and social justice. To stay To mix metaphors, most of us understand that wind mentally sharp, he’s in the gym six days a week. He drives the formation of ocean waves, but we forget propels himself forward. He’s growing, still. that the water in a wave moves in circular fashion:
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Upon retiring, Dad said, “We know, each in our own way, when we’re ready to retire.” Over Winter Break, I found myself staring, snow shovel in hand, at two dusty steel bicycles hanging in the garage, halfway restored — chains and cables dangling — as they’ve hung for over a decade. That led me to dig up dusty sketchbooks and canvases stretched, gessoed but unpainted. From my desk and digital storage, I extracted stories in various stages of revision, none finished. Once I considered bicycling, bicyclebuilding, painting and writing essential to my identity; I put them aside because I loved teaching. But interests and aptitudes are appetites. Deferred long enough, they reemerge.
New Year’s I woke hungry. Dad was right: I knew. You see, lifelong learning means feeding your interests — all of them — in order to continue growing your mind. I doubt I’ll ever be known for fiction or art, but that’s not why one moves forward. That’s not why one grows. A former student wrote to say she heard I was “graduating.” “What will you do?” she asked. What will I do? What I suggest you do: follow all your interests, learn, grow! And adopt a dog or two! Thank you.
Cum Laude Society
The 2026 Inductees to Hackley’s Cum Laude Society: Jinyi “Isabelle” Cai
Sophie Frazier
William “Will” Linnett
Kareena Parasnis
Ella Chen
Sophie Huang
Sebastian Mann
Nikhil Shah
Alexander Chorny
Phillip Ianchulev
Macey McLane
Elan Suttiratana
Bode Cice
Rohan Krishna
Shikhar Misra
Juno Yang
James Devereux
Mason Lee
Benjamin “Ben” Nadorf
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Senior Dinner Address Melissa Stanek ’90 Upper School history teacher and senior class dean Melissa Stanek ’90 was chosen by the Senior Class as this year’s Rice Award recipient. She delivered the Senior Dinner Address on June 1, 2026, in which she shared about the true meaning of being a “hero.”
Good evening. Mr. King has instilled in us as a community the importance of expressing gratitude whenever we have the opportunity, and tonight, I have so much to be thankful for. First, thank you to the Rice brothers, Tony, Don, Bill and John, who have endowed this award. Their continued generosity and commitment to our community is greatly appreciated. Thank you to the parents of this class — you have been amazing partners, and we are so grateful that you have trusted us with your children for anywhere from three to 13 years. Sharing time with you this morning in the corridors of the Lower, Middle and Upper School as we followed the “Graduation Walk” was a reminder of how much love there is in this community. A special thanks to the Advancement team and the members of the parent committee who have done so much to organize this wonderful evening — especially the chairs, Sandra Socastro and Priya Krishna — this is an incredibly special night made possible by all of your efforts. I would also like to express my sincerest gratitude to the senior advisory team. You have put so much time and care into helping this class grow and thrive for these past four years — it’s been a privilege to work with each one of you.
And, I want to pay tribute to this amazing community more broadly — the faculty and staff here are a truly unique and special group. This year, we have some legends leaving us — they couldn’t bear to stay when you all were leaving, Class of 2026! I would like to ask any of the following rock stars, if they are here tonight, to stand up — Mrs. Harmon, Mrs. Steinberg, Dr. Jean, Ms. Budlong, Mr. McLay, Doc Rob, Ms. Casper and Ms. Clingen, you have been our inspiration and, like this class, you will be missed dearly when you leave. Finally, to the Class of 2026, thank you so much for honoring me with this award, even if it does come with the responsibility of giving this speech. I don’t know what the over-under is on me making it through this without crying, probably as likely as Zion making it through without crying. My advisory group told me I should just talk about them and “be funny,” and then I wouldn’t cry! But that’s not the direction I went. OK, so here goes. “Who wants to be a hero?”
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It was halftime, and we were down by a few goals to a team we had expected to beat by many. My coach looked around the huddle, locking eyes with each one of us and asked again, “Who wants to be a hero, because that’s what we need right now.” I don’t know how it landed for others, but her words struck a deep chord for me. Me. I want to be the hero. I want to be the one to score the winning goal, to make the perfect pass, to check the ball out the stick of the best player on the other team. Me. I want to be the hero. And, honestly, from as far back as I can remember, I wanted to do something great. I wanted to make a mark, to matter. I wanted to be a hero. The heroes of my youth were Olympic gymnasts and figure skaters like Nadia Comaneci and Dorothy Hammill — athletes who stood on podiums with shoulders back and heads held high. I admired tennis players like Chris Evert Lloyd, some of the only women visible to me at the time as examples of greatness. But it wasn’t just athletes. I read and reread epic fantasy series like The Lord of the Rings, drawn in by heroes like Strider. I listened intently as my history teachers told stories of people who stood up for what was right in the face of oppression, opposition and real danger. And I often wondered, who would I be in those stories? Would I and could I do what was right and good? Or would I do what was easy and safe? I never acknowledged to anyone out loud that this was how I felt. I didn’t want to be seen as wanting too much or trying too hard. But I wasn’t fooling everyone — I once heard my mom say about me when she thought I couldn’t hear her that I was “quietly driven.” And she was right. This drive pushed me to try to be the best in my own little worlds — to be the fastest on the field, the smartest in the room, the one who could somehow prove herself to be worthy of being remembered. Over time, of course, my understanding of what it means to be a hero has changed. Real life has a way
of interrupting the fantasy versions we create for ourselves. When we lost my Uncle Joe on 9/11, my family’s world shifted permanently. Grief rearranged our relationships, our priorities and our sense of selves. Within two years of losing my uncle, I moved back to my childhood hometown and began teaching and coaching at Hackley, at the school where my brother and I had once been students — something I had never imagined doing. My brother took a job at my uncle’s company alongside our cousin, partly out of loyalty and partly, like me, because we all suddenly felt the need to draw closer to one another. My Uncle Joe was “great” in terms of what he had accomplished in a measurable way over the course of his shortened life. He came from modest beginnings and had worked his way to the position of CEO of a company that was about to go public when he died. But that was not why his passing was so devastating to us. Uncle Joe was a “great man” but he was mostly a really good man — a caring father, loving husband, a loyal brother, and a kind and fun uncle. He showed up to his kids’ games and performances, found little ways to make his wife feel loved and stood by his sister when she needed him most. That’s what we missed — his everyday love was what we were struggling to live without. And for the first time, I started asking myself a different question. Was it my purpose to be great? To be extraordinary? Or was it something entirely different? And I think I started to find that answer back here, in a place of comfort, but also of challenge, community and meaning. Back with my family. Back in my school. And now, 23 years later, I am still here. Not because I’ve settled. Not because I’ve given up on ambition. But because I have come to realize that the people who matter most are rarely the ones standing alone on podiums. They are the people who stand with us, who show up. The people who stay. The people who make us feel safer, steadier, more seen. And, in many ways, that is what I have always loved about Hackley — as a student, a parent and a teacher.
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As ninth graders, returning or new, you radiated energy and excitement — if not always focus. You built cardboard boats — I think Mr. Wright’s advisory won — I know ours sank, I’m pretty sure within the first lap. You climbed ropes in 90° heat as tenth graders, convincing even our most reluctant class members to get up there in the trees — I think you even taught Doc Rob how to play Uno that day. And some of you serenaded Mr. King with T. Swift songs in the back of the little bus on the way home.
Seniors Linnéa Boettner, Nkechi Ude and Jiya Dhakad with history teacher and Director of Hudson Scholars Dave Sykes.
What makes this place special is not simply that people here strive for excellence — they do. It’s that, when we’re at our best, we strive hard toward greatness, but we do it together. Some of my clearest memories of this community are not the formal ones. They are the bus rides to the big games, standing in the back of the Coffeehouse watching our students support one another, listening in classrooms as discussions veer off-script in unexpectedly beautiful directions, in S-Lounge or the Deans’ Office when we linger instead of rushing off to the next thing. Moments when we become so comfortable with one another that we temporarily let go of fear of judgment and simply become ourselves. Last spring and again two weeks ago, I asked many of you who you admired most in the community and why. What struck me in your responses was that you rarely talked about accolades or accomplishments. You admired others for quieter reasons: resilience, loyalty, kindness, humor, creativity, courage, compassion. You noticed who showed up for people. You noticed who made others feel included. Who kept going after disappointment. Who could brighten a room or make someone else feel less alone. Over these past four years as your dean, I have watched you grow not only into impressive students and athletes and artists, but into more fully realized versions of yourselves.
As juniors, you challenged yourselves to take on leadership roles in clubs and performances and on teams, surviving and sometimes even thriving in that “hardest” year. This fall, to kick off your senior year, you gathered on Pickert Field for a Senior Sunrise, one we had to collectively imagine because there wasn’t actually much of a sunrise to see. But even then, it was pretty clear that the point wasn’t really the view. The point was being together. And, more recently, as we gathered again for Senior Sunset, that was still true. Once again, it looked like we were going to have to rely on our collective imaginations on a cloudy evening. And then, on cue, streaks of pink and orange appeared in the sky, drawing you all through Saperstein and out toward one last beautiful shared moment. In between those moments, there were classes, games, performances, college applications and decisions, AP exams — all the doings of a senior year. And you’ve left your mark on this School — the Spotlight talks in Diller Hall are just one example. You set the bar high not simply because some were willing to stand in front of 400 people and share something personal, but because all of you were the most supportive audience for one another, awarding courage, vulnerability, wisdom and talent with raucous applause. In May, you scattered in every direction. Some of you traveled as close as New York City or as far away as Egypt to explore engineering, law, finance, medicine, fencing and ranching through your Senior Projects. Others stayed closer to home, sewing, crafting, gardening, cooking, teaching, film-making, building,
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creating or marketing. Wherever you went, you came back with stories that impressed our faculty panelists and reminded us that some of the most meaningful learning happens outside a classroom. And then there was last Thursday. You arrived here looking beautiful and handsome and impossibly grown up for pre-Prom. A few hours later, you were exhausted and disgustingly sweaty, but still beautiful, boarding those yellow buses back to campus after one more night spent exactly where you seem happiest: together. And I know it has not always been smooth and easy. There have been bumps in the road — little and big. There have been moments of stress, disappointment, uncertainty, heartbreak, conflict. But in those moments, you’ve tried to be good to one another, even while you are still growing and figuring out who you are and who you want to be. When I was younger, I thought heroism was standing above everyone else — being extraordinary enough to be remembered.
And that’s the kind of joy I have found in my four years as your dean. You’ve accomplished remarkable things. You won academic awards, brought home championships. You broke records. You earned accolades individually and collectively. But what I will miss most is not those accomplishments. It’s the everyday you. The smiles. The hugs. The laughter. Even the tears. So, Class of 2026, wherever your road leads next, I hope you continue striving toward your goals. I hope you remain ambitious. I hope you do extraordinary things — become heroes. But even more than that, I hope you remain connected to the people and places that remind you of who you are. I hope you make room for joy. I hope you bring your whole selves into the world. And I hope you become the kind of people who stand with others when they need it most.
But now I think it means something quieter but harder.
I’ve written and re-written the ending of this speech many, many times, but then I realized I was trying to do that thing again — I was trying to be great and extraordinary, to be remembered.
It means you show up. You stay. You stand with people in their hardest moments. You choose goodness and kindness when no one is applauding. You become the kind of person who makes others feel safer, lighter and less alone.
But that’s not my job here tonight, so I’ll end with this simple final expression of gratitude: Thank you, Class of 2026, for bringing me so much everyday joy for the past four years. We are all so proud of who you already are and can’t wait to see who you become.
I see those qualities in you. And maybe that is why I am still here. Maybe my purpose was never to be the hero of the story. Maybe it was to try to do good and find joy in being part of other people’s journeys toward greatness. My Uncle Joe used to say, “Life is good.” He didn’t mean that because he was proud of where he had gotten professionally or what he had accumulated financially. He meant that the everyday of life is good. He found joy in that everyday: watching his son perform in a school play, squeezing my 12-year-old chin and telling me that I was beautiful, sitting on the beach pretending to read a book.
Seniors Julian Mann, William Sheehan, Charles Sheehan and Sebastian Mann at the Senior Dinner on June 1, 2026.
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HACKLEY REVIEW COMMENCEMENT SUPPLEMENT 2026
Class Day Awards Class Day is a Hackley tradition in which students and employees gather together to acknowledge the end of another year of growth in “character, scholarship and accomplishment.” The Ron DelMoro Award for Excellence in Teaching
Yearbook Dedication
The Hilltop Award
Melissa Stanek
Andy King
May Steinberg
Chosen by the Class of 2026
Chosen by the “Lifers” in the Class of 2026
Awarded to a Lower School teacher, nominated by their peers, for excellence in teaching Mary Lambos Award Ellen Ferguson Awarded to a Middle School teacher, nominated by their peers, for excellence in teaching Anton & Lydia Rice Inspirational Teaching Award Melissa Stanek Senior Dinner speaker, chosen by the Senior class
Oscar Kimelman Award Steve Fitzpatrick
Middle School Subject Awards
Voted on by the Class of 2024 and presented to the teacher who has most contributed to their subsequent progress
Sophia “Sophie” P. ’30 English
The Robert Pickert Award for Coaching Excellence Cassandra Sekkas Chosen from employee nominations and selected by the Head of School in consultation with the Senior Administrative Team and the Director of Athletics
Alexander “Zander” M. ’30 History Henry K. ’30 Spanish Christopher Y. ’30 French Ella Z. ’30 Latin Avery P. ’30 Chinese Xi H. ’30 Art Henry K. ’30 Chorus Char I. ’30 Daniel M. ’30 Instrumental Music Wythe R. ’30 Drama Pauline M. Gillim Library & Reading Award Neil D. ’30
Cassandra Sekkas, P.E. and health teacher and coach, accepts the Robert Pickert Award for Coaching Excellence.
C L A S S D AY A W A R D S
Ira Seebacher Scholarship Photography Award William “Will” Koranteng ’26 Awarded to the student whose work in photography has over three years achieved the highest distinction in technical skill and artistic vision Class of 1938 History Award Caroline Ryu ’28 Awarded to a sophomore for the most distinguished essay in History Class of 1936 Cup William Ngbokoli ’28 Upper School students cheer on Owen Spencer ’27 (right) as he accepts the Community Council Award.
Presented to the outstanding sophomore for distinction in any or all phases
Arthur Niles King Science Award
Community Music Awards
Albert R. Dupont Award
Lucia R. ’30
Ivan Alexander Laca Jara ’26 Band
Norah Mott ’29
Capt. Charles M. Kelly Jr. & Ethel Kelly Mathematics Award
Gabriela Nunes ’26 Chamber Ensembles
Xi H. ’30
Jiya Dhakad ’26 Chorus
Middle School Miller Bowls
Presented to the outstanding freshman for distinction in any or all phases Upper School Miller Bowls
Amisha T. ’30 Notable Improvement
The Class of 1972 Community Service Awards
William “Will” Koranteng ’26 Notable Improvement
Savannah S. ’30 Kindness and Courtesy
Theodore “Theo” Kim ’29 Ninth grade
Annika Duggan ’26 Kindness and Courtesy
Char I. ’30 Enthusiastic Cooperation
Sarah Sichel-Outcalt ’28 Tenth grade
Zion Bennett ’26 Enthusiastic Cooperation
Lawrence M. Symmes Award
Tyler Stern ’27 Eleventh grade
Hackley Bowl
Henry K. ’30 Presented to the Most Constructive Middle School student Community Council Award Owen Spencer ’27 Awarded to the Council member who made the greatest contribution to the Council’s activities
Awarded to the freshmen, sophomore and junior students who best personify the spirit of service to others — a quintessential Hackley tradition
Lillian “Lilly” Rosenthal ’27 Owen Spencer ’27 Outstanding Juniors
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Junior Subject Book Award
McIlhenny Bowl
Stanley Pennock Prize in Science
Austin Shapiro ’27 English French
Gabriella Petriello ’26
Sophie Huang ’26
Awarded by the Athletics Department to a female for distinction in Upper School athletics
Class of 1963 Charles Tomlinson Griffes Award
Gemma Lasky ’27 History
Mason Lee ’26
Cooper Ho ’27 Latin
Mrs. Frederick W. Sherman Book Prizes
Steven A. Frumkes Award
Zachary Reinmann ’27 Math Technology
James Devereux ’26 Classics Technology
For the Friendliest Senior
Layan Sow ’27 Science
Gabriela Nunes ’26 English
Troy Song ’27 Visual Arts Spanish
Sarah Rotenberg ’26 History
Lara McComiskey ’27 Chinese
Elan Suttiratana ’26 Modern Languages Mathematics
The Benjamin E. Bergen ’96 Award
Lilian “Lily” Adamski ’26 Visual Arts
Emelia Pieri ’28 Varsity “H” Award Henry B. ’30 Boys’ Middle School Athletics Lucia R. ’30 Girls’ Middle School Athletics
Spencer Flaxman ’26
Valedictorian Sophie Huang ’26 Salutatorian Elan Suttiratana ’26 Royal A. Clark Memorial Award Ari Spiegel ’26
Sydney Morris ’26 Performing Arts – Drama
Bruce F. Roberts Scholar Athlete Award
Cara Minello ’26 Performing Arts – Musical Theater
Macey McLane ’26
Alan Seeger Prize in Writing
Richard Perkins Parker Memorial Cup
Fiona Pedraza ’26
Jiya Dhakad ’26
Head of School’s Award Justin D’Alessio ’26 Presented to the student-athlete whose performance, sportsmanship and leadership on and off the athletic field have set an example for all Hackley students to follow Class of 1921 Athletic Trophy John Pierre “JP” Ngbokoli ’26 Awarded by the Athletics Department to a male for distinction in Upper School athletics
Macey McLane ’26 (center) accepts the Bruce F. Roberts Scholar Athlete Award from Head of School Charles Franklin (right) and Bill Roberts ’75 (left), son of Bruce F. Roberts.
C L A S S D AY A W A R D S
2025–2026 Athletics Awards FALL SEASON Cross Country Football
Pennock MVP Award
John Pierre “JP” Ngbokoli ’26 OHM Award for Outstanding Enthusiasm and Dedication
August “Auggie” Teacher ’27 Jim Reilly Award for Superior Athleticism and Sportsmanship
Jack Hiscoe ’26 Defensive MVP
Graham Klabin ’27 Offensive MVP
Logan Wissner ’27 Field Hockey
MVPs
Calliope Yannuzzi ’26 Madelyn “Maddie” Edwards ’27
MVPs
Macey McLane ’26 Henry Prescott ’26 Coaches Awards
Sophie Frazier ’26 Nicolas “Nico” Kim ’27 Most Improved
Caitlin Morrow ’27 James Eleck ’28 Tennis GIRLS’
MVP
Heart Award
Fiona Pedraza ’26 Unsung Hero
Brigid Doherty ’27 Soccer BOYS’
Unreserved Effort Award
Owen Lee ’26 Tristan Payne ’26 Award for Leadership
Andrew Carpenito ’26 Alessandro “Ale” Soto ’26 Heart Award
Mateo Arencibia ’26 GIRLS’
MVPs
Annika Duggan ’26 Gabriella Petriello ’26 Coaches Award
Zara Nahim ’26 Animal Award
Zion Bennett ’26 Most Improved
Lucia Marucci ’27 Impact Player Award
Gemma Lasky ’27
Skylar van Eck ’26 Coaches Award
Jiya Dhakad ’26 Most Improved
Lilly Rogers ’27 Swimming BOYS’
MVP: Manny Sanguilly Award
William Sevilla ’28 Jason Triano Award (Coaches Award)
Michael Baez ’27
Lili Kanev ’28
GIRLS’
Coaches Award
MVP: Charles Bates Award
Jordan Kleeger ’26
Dolores “Lola” Frey ’27 Coaches Award
WINTER SEASON
Playmaker Award
Emelia Pieri ’28
GIRLS’
MVP
Ella Chen ’26 Basketball
Wrestling
BOYS’
MVP – Frederic W. Neilson Award
MVPs
Justin D’Alessio ’26 “Iron Horse” – Hardest Worker
Micah Jones ’26 Alexander “Alex” Nuzum ’27
Loukas Skipitaris ’27
Coaches Award
Most Improved Wrestler
William “Will” Linnett ’26
Joshua Gandelman ’27
Most Improved Player
Rookies of the Year
James Marra ’26
Edward Stavros ’29 Navon R. ’30
Coaches Award
Coaches Award
Annika Duggan ’26
William Ngbokoli ’28
Most Improved
GIRLS’
Julia Puthiyamadam ’28 Squash BOYS’
MVP
Rohan Krishna ’26 Coaches Award
Kalin Huang ’26 Most Improved
Rami Ibrahim ’27
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Fencing
Lacrosse
Track & Field
MVPs
BOYS’
MVPs
Sam Sugiura ’26 Ella Z. ’30
Hislop Award – MVP
Coaches Awards
Allen Award
Jack Hiscoe ’26 Ari Spiegel ’26 Emma Curran ’27 Alfred “Alfie” Adams ’28
Sophie Huang ’26 Avish Chandra ’27 Most Improved
Layla Kesh-Heil ’27 Luke Thomas ’27 Indoor Track and Field
MVPs
Ari Spiegel ’26 Alfred “Alfie” Adams ’28 Coaches Awards
Jack Hiscoe ’26 Ashley Hollingsworth ’26 Rookies of the Year
Alexandra “Ali” Baldwin ’29 William “Will” Patrick ’29 SPRING SEASON Baseball
MVP
Andrew Carpenito ’26 Silver Slugger – Silver Trophy
Tyler Parrot ’27 Gold Glove Award
Nathaniel “Nate” Becker ’27 Coaches Awards
Justin D’Alessio ’26 James Marra ’26 Hoover Award
Alessandro “Ale” Soto ’26 GIRLS’
MVPs
Zena Hume ’26 Nora Esposito ’28 Zion Bennett ’26
Rita Muriithi ’29 William “Will” Patrick ’29
2025–2026 3x4 Awards
Jiarui “Jerry” Guo ’28 Coaches Award
3X4 Award Winners
BOYS’
MVP
Micah Jones ’26 Most Improved
Nicolas “Nico” Kim ’27 GIRLS’
MVP
Zoe Sellon ’28 Coaches Award
Linnéa Boettner ’26 Most Improved
Gabriela Nunes ’26 Softball
Most Improved
Coaches Award
Trevor Parrot ’29
Rookies of the Year
Each year, 3x4 Awards are earned by students who have completed three seasons of sports each year for all four years of Upper School.
Golf
MVP
Rookie of the Year
Zara Nahim ’26 Brandon Acosta ’27
Coaches Award
Samuel “Jake” Katz ’26 Nicholas “Nick” Fratianni ’28 Rodrigo Severin ’26 Alexander “Alex” Aybar ’27
Coaches Awards
Elinor “Ellie” Firsenbaum ’28 Gabrielle Paes ’27 Most Improved
Aria Servedio ’28 Tennis BOYS’
MVP
Alexander Chorny ’26 Coaches Award
David Lefkovits ’26
Zion Bennett Soccer, Basketball, Lacrosse
Julia Feehan Soccer, Squash, Lacrosse
Sophie Frazier
Cross Country, Track & Field (indoor/outdoor)
Emmanuel Henderson
Football, Wrestling, Track & Field
Ashley Hollingsworth
Soccer, Track & Field (indoor/ outdoor)
Owen Lee Soccer, Wrestling, Tennis
Macey McLane
Cross Country, Track & Field (indoor/outdoor)
Zara Nahim
Soccer, Track & Field (indoor/ outdoor)
JP Ngbokoli
Football, Wrestling, Track & Field
Henry Prescott
Cross Country, Track & Field (indoor/outdoor)
COMMUNITY COUNCIL 2025-26
Senior Class Representatives (back row, left to right) Elan Suttiratana, Logan Gunn, James Marra, Ari Spiegel and Isaac Price; (front row, left to right) Jinyi “Isabelle” Cai, Nima Jones, Ashley Hollingsworth, Jiya Dhakad and Annika Duggan
Community Council 2025–26 SCHOOL WIDE OFFICERS
BOARD OF MAGISTRATES
MIDDLE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES
Vice President
Junior Class President
Seniors
Middle School President
Alberto “Ace” Perez ’27
Owen Spencer
Andrew Carpenito, Madison Cruz, Justin D’Alessio, Sophie Frazier, Rohan Krishna, David Lefkovits, Obinna Nnamdi and Oren Wildstein
Henry K. ’30
Juniors
Zachary J., Nate M. and Sophia “Sophie” P.
Secretary/Treasurer
Junior Class Representatives
Mariyam Henderson ’26
Gabriel Fossner, Jonah Hootnick and Lillian “Lilly” Rosenthal
Senior Class President
Inkosi Brou Senior Class Representatives
Jinyi “Isabelle” Cai, Peter King and Shikhar Misra
Sophomore Class President
Cornelia Gruenberg Sophomore Class Representatives
Charlotte Duffy, Ulla Gershon and Maria “Pia” Severin Freshman Class President
Suan Kim Freshman Class Representatives
Norah Mott, Juno Spencer and Dylan Taylor
Middle School Vice President
Char I. ’30 Eighth Grade Representatives
Nate Becker, Ava Cronin, Nora Husseini, Gemma Lasky, Beatrix Mackil, Kayla Menon and Charlie Napach
Sophomores
Vivian Beaton, John Flavell, Claire Kim, Aaron Krayne and Cadey Mook
Seventh Grade Representatives
Kai H., Saphia M., Emilia S. and Michael V. Sixth Grade Representatives
Anna M., Brilant M., Hudson S. and Sydney W. Fifth Grade Representatives
Serena J., Aidan P. and Ava S.
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HACKLEY REVIEW COMMENCEMENT SUPPLEMENT 2026
click here to watch the video of the Salutatory Address youtube
Commencement The Salutatory Address Elan Suttiratana ’26 Salutatorian Elan Suttiratana ’26 addresses the Class of 2026 during Commencement on June 6, 2026.
I’ve had a few days to think about this, and in the process I found myself thinking: who are we? What is the Class of 2026? Surely we’re not just a group of people who happen to be graduating at the same time. Some might say we’re the sum of our parts. Others would argue that we’re more than that — that our class is defined by the relationships we formed, the connections we built with each other: but look at the people around you! Sure, you’ll see the people you’ve eaten lunch with almost every day, hung out with on the weekends, spent countless hours in locker rooms and at practice with. But there are also people you barely ever saw, people you never spoke to until sophomore or junior year, but you still call your classmates. So maybe it’s not the relationships themselves, but how and why we made them. I think our class is defined by our shared experiences, by the things we’ve done together. I want to take you all back to something in our freshman year: the 2022 World Cup. At the time, as a new student, I didn’t really have an established social situation. But events like the World Cup bring people together in a way almost nothing else can: we watched games in the cafeteria, the library (and even a few classes) with friends, but also people who
were practically strangers. Some of you might even remember some of the U.S. matches on the big screen in the Nest: I know I do. Watching those games, everything else disappeared: the imaginary barriers of grades and friend groups between us crumbled. A lot has happened in our time together. I’m sure you all remember our apocalyptic-looking, hazy, redskied freshman year Class Day, but we also weathered almost unending downpours on our sophomore history field trips — on the more positive side, we traveled the world on Casten and language immersion trips and achieved new athletic milestones. And after all that we went through together, it feels like we came to a quiet, unwritten agreement: you don’t have to know someone that well to be in their corner. Sometimes, it’s just things that seem like common decency, like helping a classmate you don’t really know prep for a test or filling the stands at a playoff game; other times, it was something more significant, like volunteering in one of our community service clubs or raising money for natural disaster relief and any one of the other causes we’ve supported through events and
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bake sales. Showing up for your best friends is easy. That’s what friendship is supposed to be. The harder thing, the thing that says something about who you are — who we are — is showing up for someone with no reason to expect it from you. After today, the wind will take us on our separate paths: different schools, different cities (even different continents!) and, most of all, different lives. So as our time together ends, savor it: what once was, what is and even what could have been. Some of us have spent just three years here, some as many as 13; but it is equally important to all of us that we figure out who we are without Hackley, and without each other. This place, and the people in it, have been the backdrop to some of the most formative years of our lives. But remember: we were all strangers once. Every single person in this room was, at some point, someone another person in this room had never met. But we made friends, we adapted to our new surroundings even though we didn’t know how it would turn out —
and we are all capable of doing it again. So, let the instincts we built here travel with us: the reflex that says, that person could use someone right now, and I can be that person. You don’t need a reason or a guarantee. You’ve already proven you can do it without any of that. Keep doing that. Wherever you go, whoever you meet, keep being the person who makes someone feel like they’re not alone. The world needs more of what we built on this Hilltop. Thank you so much to everyone who made my Hackley experience so amazing: my mom and dad, Ms. EK and the boarding community (shoutout Ethan and Will), Hackley Squash and my amazing co-captain Rami, Dr. Ying, Mr. Klimenko, Ms. Richardson, Ms. Kaplan, Qi Lao Shi, Mr. King, Mr. Franklin and, of course, Ms. Coy. Thank you and congratulations, Class of 2026.
The Class of 2026 at their Commencement ceremony on June 6, 2026.
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HACKLEY REVIEW COMMENCEMENT SUPPLEMENT 2026
click here to watch the video of the Valedictory Address youtube
Valedictory Address Sophie Huang ’26 Valedictorian Sophie Huang ’26 speaks to the Class of 2026 and families during the Commencement ceremony held on June 6, 2026.
First, I would like to thank the Hackley Parents’ Association (HPA), Buildings & Grounds, Flik and the Board of Trustees for making Commencement possible. I would also like to thank Mr. Franklin, Mr. King, Ms. Coy, Mr. Arnold, Ms. Marija and everyone working in administration for keeping the School up and running. I also want to give a special thanks to our dean, and my advisor, Ms. Stanek. From giving great speeches to managing senior projects and getting us ice cream in times of need, Ms. Stanek always made sure we felt cared for. I also want to thank all our advisors and teachers for their unwavering support and mentorship. You are the reason we love Hackley so much.
might end up until you start writing. As Flan likes to say, an essay is an “attempt.” Over the past four years, I think our collective Hackley experience was a combination of attempts. Our “primary texts” were the teachers, friends and opportunities at Hackley. In the face of uncertainty, it was up to us to figure out what our Hackley “comp,” our Hackley experience, would look like.
OK, I want to ask the seniors a question: would your ninth grade self predict where you are today? Would they know who your closest friends are, how you spend your free time or what experiences would impact you most in high school?
Some of us gave senior spotlights, unsure if our stories would resonate with the audience. We took exams we didn’t always feel prepared for. We submitted college applications we weren’t sure admissions officers would like. Even if we did not arrive at the destinations we initially wanted, I believe we all learned something on the journey to get there. So, I would say that while outcomes are uncertain, we can be certain that we will gain something from every experience.
If you think your ninth grade self would be surprised, that means you faced and embraced uncertainty. We might think about uncertainty like writing an English comp — hear me out. You are given a piece of text and you might already have an idea about what to write, but you do not know where your argument
Our devoted teachers helped us embrace uncertainty. Dr. Ying, our legendary IRP teacher, spent thousands of hours helping us improve our research presentations. Teachers, including Ms. EK, Ms. Johnson and Flan, often sacrificed their lunches to help us understand anything we were confused about.
Finally, I would love to thank all the friends and family members — including parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles — who came to support us today.
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I also will never forget Ms. Clingen’s unwavering love for math. When I was unsure if I should learn Algebra II over the summer, she encouraged me to give it a try. Their passion for teaching helped us find excitement in every subject. Difficult physics problems became fun challenges, tough deadlines drove us to improve our time management, and bad grades became chances to reflect and improve. They helped us turn the feeling of uncertainty into a desire for growth. Our friends also played a large part in helping us navigate uncertainty. In tenth grade, I tried fencing for the first time. Although the girls’ saber team never won the league championship, I can proudly say that I won the greatest award of all: my best friends. They became the people who I could hug after a tough fencing meet, rant to after a difficult AP exam, or make DIY tiramisu from the cream cheese, coffee and cookies on Tuesday during lunch. As you think back to your years at Hackley, I hope you also found your best friends in your various communities, from sports teams to theater, classes, clubs, Community Council, boarding and more. They were the constant support we needed in the face of uncertainty.
At the end of the day, I believe that we will remember Hackley by the bonds we formed with friends and mentors. I know I used a comp metaphor at the beginning of this speech, but I don’t think you will remember that B- you earned on the Gatsby comp. At least I know that I am so incredibly grateful for facing uncertainty, so I could make my most cherished memories at Hackley. I hope you feel the same way about the memories you made building boats that might sink during First Friday, playing your hardest when you might lose at Sting or singing for the first time in front of a large crowd at Coffeehouse. You did all these things with the support of your classmates, friends, teachers and coaches. Honestly, I am scared about facing even more uncertainty in college. Maybe some of you feel that way too. But I believe that if we see uncertainty as an opportunity for growth, and we find friends and mentors to collaborate on our “comps” of experience, we will earn an “A” in life. Thank you, and congrats to the Class of 2026!
Seniors Cecily Lewis, Sydney Morris, Juno Yang, Lily Adamski, PJ McCaffery, James Devereux and Sophie Huang prepare for their Commencement ceremony on June 6, 2026.
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HACKLEY REVIEW COMMENCEMENT SUPPLEMENT 2026
click here to watch the video of the Commencement Address youtube
The Commencement Address Danny Casper ’19 Danny Casper ’19 delivered the 2026 Commencement Address. Danny served as the captain of the U.S. men’s Olympic curling team at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. A Briarcliff Manor native and lifelong Hackley student, he graduated from the University of Minnesota and now lives and trains in Minneapolis. After a 2024 diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare autoimmune condition that affected his mobility, Danny returned to competition and led Team USA at the Olympic Games, demonstrating exceptional resilience, determination and leadership.
Good morning, everyone. Mr. King, Mr. Franklin, faculty, administrators, Board of Trustees, families and especially the Class of 2026. My name is Danny Casper, and I graduated way way back in the Class of 2019. I know many amazing faculty are retiring this year, but I want to give a special shout out to my mom, Mrs. Casper, retiring after 34 years. It is truly an honor to stand here today at a place that is so much more to me than just a school. It’s been my home. I mean, I quite literally lived here. I used to walk these halls as a little kid. I learned how to count by going up the stairs from the gym to our apartment above the Lindsay Room — 219 by the way, at least at the time. I learned to ride my bike in front of the Chapel. I ate all my meals in the cafeteria, and my best friends were all students here, mostly Lifers like me. I love Hackley. And it’s funny, because for most of my time here, I was stressed out. Going to school here, I found it really hard. And yet, somehow, it’s a place I now look back on so fondly and with so much appreciation. Because growth, it usually doesn’t feel good when you’re in it. I am only now beginning to realize how much I learned here.
In school, I felt outmatched; outgunned; honestly, pretty unspectacular in a group of spectacular people. Most of the time, I felt like I wasn’t good enough. I remember in Mr. Lobko’s class, we would comment on something we were reading, and he would call on students for their insights. Everyone’s comments were so impressive. And then he would call on me, and I would think, “Didn’t we pretty much cover this? I’ve got nothing to add here.” And the next person would add something just as interesting as the first person. There were long nights, a lot of frustration and a lot of moments where I was drowning. And being a faculty kid didn’t exactly help. I’d go home after a tough day, and there’s my teacher whose test I just bombed sitting in the cafeteria eating dinner with mom. I struggled in math, and, as many of you know, my mom teaches — well — math. It is funny now though, looking back and remembering. As we know, the math teachers share an office, and as great as that was most of the time, there were other times where let’s say I struggled on a math test or
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assignment and I’m going over it with my teacher and boom, my mom is just there sitting next to us. I didn’t love that at the time, but it was an easy built-in way to keep me accountable. I was just trying to hang on. I would have been shocked if I had won any awards at Class Day. And, guess what? I never won any awards. But what I was doing — without even realizing it — was building habits. Good habits. Showing up. Trying again. Getting a little bit better in small increments.
I didn’t make a lot of teams that I wanted to be on, including the USA Curling national program, believe it or not. I didn’t get into the college I wanted to, and that really, really hurt. Though I ended up there eventually. Anyway, I definitely heard “no” — a lot. But even though it was a struggle, I always thought things would work out, because I was confident that I knew how to treat people and be a good person. That’s doable. And I soon realized there are three other things that are also doable, and controllable. No. 1 is persistence.
Learning how to study, how to treat people, how to work hard even when you may not want to. And here is a key thing that I learned: If the results you want aren’t showing right now, it doesn’t mean they’re not coming. Not many things I’ve ever set out to do worked the first time.
That’s it. Not perfect grades, not awards, not being the most talented person in the room. Persistence. And with persistence comes discipline. The ability to show up every day and do the work, whether you feel like it or not. You know, a lot of people think there are secrets and
Seniors walk from the Allen Center for the Creative Arts and Technology to their Commencement ceremony on Akin Common.
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Being present applies to everything. In music, you have to be present to get through the piece at hand. In your work, too. And in your life. It’s OK to let your mind wander sometimes, but don’t forget to bring yourself back. I struggle with the same thing sometimes, especially when everytime I open my phone, it’s telling me all the reasons the Knicks are winning it in four. So be where your feet are. Because getting better — truly getting better — that is actually the dream.
Seniors Lily Adamski, Shikhar Misra, PJ McCaffery, Sam Sugiura, James Devereux and Sydney Morris at the Senior Breakfast at Gage House the morning of June 6, 2026.
tricks out there. Whether for getting good grades, being a better athlete, a musician, whatever it may be. We all have been taught that it takes hard work and discipline, but people still want to pretend there’s some sort of short cut. The real secret is understanding that there isn’t one. When you want to accomplish something, we know what hard work looks like. I can stand here and tell you about going to the gym, going to practice, spending hours working on whatever it is you want to chase, but realistically, this place has taught us that already. It takes what it takes, and once you can accept that, it gives you so much mental freedom to just know all you need to do is the work.
We spend so much time focusing on outcomes: grades, winning, results. Worrying about those things can bring lots of unnecessary anxiety. Yes, I want to win gold and yes, I want to win all these other things in the curling world. But the real honor — the real privilege — is waking up each day and having the opportunity to improve. Everybody here has that opportunity. I’m not saying don’t have dreams. If you are persistent and present, you are empowering yourself to turn those dreams into actual goals. And don’t be afraid to set high goals. If your goals don’t scare you a little, they are probably not high enough. Somebody has to be the best in the world at something. Why not me? Why not you? So push yourself. Learn. Grow. That, to me, is living the dream. I mean, don’t just fall in love with the dream. Fall in love with what it takes to make that dream a reality. Now, none of this happens alone.
No. 2 is being present.
No. 3 is surround yourself with good people.
When I’m playing in a tournament, I am not thinking about winning or losing the game, or what happened yesterday, or what might happen tomorrow. I am only thinking of the next shot. Curling taught me that the only shot that matters is the one right in front of you. Not the one you missed. Not the one you’re worried about later. Just this one.
I always hear athletes on TV talking about the haters, but what about the people who support you? Everyone gets told “no,” but everyone also has at least someone in their life that is there for them and cheers them on. It doesn’t have to be a family member or even a good friend, but everyone in here has that person.
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It’s OK to let that motivate you, too. I have someone here, a Hackley parent, who believed in me before anyone else did. He and his son coached me. And I was motivated by him and by his work ethic. Remember, embrace your support system. So, three things will work for you well no matter what: persistence, being present and having good people around you. I’ve been reminded of these things more than ever over the last couple of years. Pretty close to two years ago, I got sick with an autoimmune disease called Guillain-Barré. It is relatively rare. To be honest, I still don’t fully get it, but it is basically where your immune system attacks and destroys your nerves. It all happened extremely fast. I started having neck and back discomfort, something I ignored at first. A couple days later, when it continued, I began to get concerned. Just a couple days after that, I could hardly walk. I went a long time without being able to use my hands, operate my phone, make my own food, and I could hardly walk myself anywhere in the house. The worst part was it was a very long time before I had any definitive answer as to what it was. I didn’t curl much at all that year (2024) and, when I did, during tournaments, my teammates would be tying my shoes and getting equipment together for me. And I remember wondering if other teams thought I was an out-of-control prima donna. There were reasons. At my brand new job at Allianz Financial, I had to go on disability. When that ran out, I lost my job. And so, at the beginning of 2025, my team had lost the national championship on the last shot, I had no job, little money and a painful disease with no idea of when, or even if, I would get better. I didn’t know if I could curl or even work and, to be honest, there were a couple of times where my mind started to shift away from being a player. I thought maybe I’ll be limited to just being the
friend in the stands that cheers on everybody else who are accomplishing the goals I have had for years. Because I can’t. But, by the end of 2025 — that same year — I was heading to the Olympics. Persistence meant I would never give up and would try to do the best I could. Being present meant accepting my fate and treating each day as it came. Instead of waiting for the disease to go away or lamenting that it was here, I decided to say “this is what today is like.” However much pain I was in, “this is what today looks like.” I truly believe that one of the best skills you can develop is being in a good mood in the absence of things to be in a good mood about. I’m still in pain. I still can’t tie my shoes or open water bottles, and I’m quite uncomfortable standing up here now. But all I can do is just approach each day as it’s given to me. And, finally, I leaned on my friends. They did everything for me that I couldn’t. And my teammates and coaches stuck by me when they didn’t have to.
Seniors at their Commencement ceremony on June 6, 2026.
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In July of 2025, I was recommended to a neurology specialist who prescribed a new medicine that might deaden the pain enough, and who told me to go as hard as I could until the pain is unbearable. In August, I decided to try curling again. To start the season, we got invited to play a high-end event in Europe only because a higher-ranked U.S. team dropped out. After finishing that event, and without needing to take a game off, I realized I’ve got a shot to play the whole year. We played out the season and, in December, we won the Olympic Qualifier. And in February, I was teaching Snoop Dogg how to curl in Italy. By the way, he actually refers to himself as the Double G in person, even without cameras around. The Olympics were amazing for cool experiences like that, and also some other surprises. For example, I got a DM from Diplo. I learned the Jamaican bobsled
team really are royalty among the athletes in the Olympic Village. If you hit traffic on your bus ride to a game, you may need to get out and run. And locker room doors in the curling arena can be locked from the outside, and all it takes is screaming at the top of your lungs and banging on the door as loud as you can to be let out. I’m not done chasing my goals. I know we can do better at the Olympics, so we’re gonna run it back and try to make that happen in 2030. I have learned that there is beauty in the struggle, and that is something I look forward to continue embracing. Remember the Hackley words “Enter Here to Be and Find a Friend.” Your friends matter more than you think. Not for what they can do for you but because of who they are. Because of how they show up for you, and how you show up for them. Find your people. Keep them close. Because when things get hard — and they will — you’re going to need them. And, at times, they are going to need you. Friends quite literally changed my life. And one more thing I want to leave you with: I promise you, you are ready. You might not feel like it. I didn’t when I was sitting at my graduation. But you are more prepared than you think. The habits we’ve built here, the experiences we’ve had, the challenges we’ve gone through — they’ve shaped us. Even if you don’t feel it yet, this place will always be a part of you, as it is a part of me. So, go forward from here and do something meaningful. Set big goals, scary goals. Chase them relentlessly. Get better every single day. Surround yourself with people who make you better. And, wherever you go, spread beauty and light. Spread positivity. Make things better because you were there. Congratulations, Class of 2026!
Seniors walk through a tunnel of cheering Hackley employees at the end of Commencement.
click here for photo gallery click here to watch the video of the full Commencement ceremony youtube 53
Congratulations to the Class of 2026! Lilian “Lily” Adamski
Sophie Frazier
Jordan LaRoche
Tristan Payne
Isaac Ahn
Dylan Gaviria
Lisenia LaSalle
Fiona Pedraza
Mateo Arencibia
Logan Gunn
Mason Lee
Gabriella Petriello
Evelynn Beaton
Emmanuel Henderson
Owen Lee
Henry Prescott
Wyatt Belleville
Mariyam Henderson
David Lefkovits
Isaac Price
Zion Bennett
Jack Hiscoe
Miles Leighton
Riyaan Ratliff
Linnéa Boettner
Ashley Hollingsworth
Cecily Lewis
Evelyn-Marie Rodriguez
Inkosi Brou
Kalin Huang
William “Will” Linnett
Sarah Rotenberg
Jinyi “Isabelle” Cai
Sophie Huang
Julian Mann
Rodrigo Severin
Andrew Carpenito
Zena Hume
Sebastian Mann
Nikhil Shah
Ella Chen
Angelina Hummel
James Marra
Charles Sheehan
Alexander Chorny
Beniamino “Ben” Iaderosa
Paul “PJ” McCaffery
William Sheehan
Bode Cice
Phillip Ianchulev
Macey McLane
Annie Sheikh
Madison Cruz
Keisha Johnson
Cara Minello
Gerardo Alessandro “Ale” Soto
Justin D’Alessio
Micah Jones
Shikhar Misra
Ari Spiegel
Ethan Deng
Nima Jones
Sydney Morris
Samuel “Sam” Sugiura
James Devereux
Ellorie “Elle” Karger
Jacob Nadol
Elan Suttiratana
Jiya Dhakad
Samuel “Jake” Katz
Benjamin “Ben” Nadorf
Canyon Thompson
Leila Dillow
Shaun Kim
Zara Nahim
Ethan Tseng
Annika Duggan
Peter King
John Pierre “JP” Ngbokoli
Nkechi Ude
Mia Esposito
Jordan Kleeger
Obinna “Obi” Nnamdi
Skylar van Eck
Julia Feehan
William “Will” Koranteng
Gabriela Nunes
Oren Wildstein
Spencer Flaxman
Rohan Krishna
Kareena Parasnis
Juno Yang
Christopher Flores
Ivan Alexander Laca Jara
Keira Parasnis
Calliope Yannuzzi
HACKL EY R EVI EW 293 Benedict Avenue Tarrytown, NY 10591