Graduation · 2026 by marthasvineyardtimes

Class of 2026

Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School

Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School

Falmouth Academy

DENA PORTER

MVRHS graduates the class of 2026.

Martha's Vineyard Bank Charitable Foundation celebrates the class of 2026.

Congratulations to this year’s college scholarship recipients. We're honored to support these MVRHS graduates on their road ahead.

Sophia Alves, UMass Boston

Bailen Darack, NSU Florida

Eva Giordano, University of Delaware Xander Laiacona, Merrimack College

Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School 2026 Graduates

Kiara Kelle Queiroz Alves

Rafaela De Araujo Alves

Sabrina Robadel Alves

Sophia Delazare Da Silva Alves

Ana Clara Bernardes Amaro

Isabelle Parker Anthony

Gabriel Soares Arado

Joao Victor Rodrigues Araujo

Simon Arbelaez Ramirez

Tripp Mason Arciaga

Kellry Marques Aredes

Emanuelly Moreira

Verdam Assis

Raphael Sarmento Aviles

Matilda Adelai

Backus-Clement

Julie Barbosa

Sarah Boeno Barros

Katherine June Becker

Grace Edith Bennett-Rock

Tatiane Sara Berninger

Marcelino

Gražina Meilutė Biskis

Hunter James Bolduc

Isabella Charlotte Bollin

Kiandra Julianne Paim Borges

Emily Thomas Boyd

Kylee Joe Brasefield

Debora Luiza Roumualdo Brito

Hunter Holomua Broderick

Sydney Priscilla Bruguiere

Kayla Marilyn Bruni

Eli Copper Bryant

Warren Byrne Cabana

Julia Marie Caldwell

Griffin Boyce Callahan

Finlee Adair Callen

Cristopher Paul Cardoza

Aidan James Christensen

Esme Catherine Colon

Annie Grace Combra

Bobby Joe Cook

Maeve Youngblood

McKion Cook-Martin

Luis Otávio Soares Costa

Grace Ann Cotton

Kaua Silva Cruz

Teagan Drew D’Arcy

Eduarda Vitória Da Silva

Bailen Carolina Darack

Matthew Hunter Day

Victoria Evelyn Rosa De Jesus

Autino De Lemes Neto

Roberta Vieira De Moraes

Yury Da Silva De Moraes

João Pedro Vilela De Oliveira

Rebeccak Nunes de Oliveira

Giovanna Soares De Paula

Leah Nicole deBettencourt

Ruby Molina Dello Russo

Georgia Marie DeRoche

Kayden Keith Devine

Jennifer Almeida Dias

Ithallo Siqueira do Carmo

Autumn Anne Donnelly

Mackenzie Ann Duart

Ella Francis Ehrman

Eirene Siobhan Eville

Bryan Leandro Fernandes

Lucas Lopes Ferreira

Elaine Firstenberg

Ava Wild Fisher

Lily Wild Fisher

Zyler Laurence Flanders

Thomas Edward Flynn III

John Christopher Gallagher

Anina Marie Garvin

Eva Antoinette Giordano

Anthony Augusto De Oliveira Goncalves

Gustavo Chaves Goncalves

Holden Benjamin Graczykowski

Alyssa Maria Guarino

Samilly Alves Fernandes Guimaraes

Penelope Rose Fletcher Haddad

Jacoby James Harris

Ethan Riley Hartmann

Braylin Kayl Hattingh

Floyd Anthony Hershey

John Francis Hoff V

Abigail Lorraine Horrigan

Jason Jarrell

Antonina Marianna Kaluzna

Lathrop John Backus Keene

Ronan Kelly

Nikita Zeppa Kleeman

Larissa Gabriela Fernandes

Klein

Beckett Michael Kochin

Luiz Ricardo Andrade Lacerda

Matheus Lacerda

Xander Basilio Laiacona

Nathan James Larkin

Natalie Elizabeth Larsen

Emily Malia Lawyer

Harrison Adams

Barnes Lazarus

Isaac James LeFebvre

Maria Eduarda Ferreira

Leoncio

Rose Ellana Levesque

Vincenzo Michele Loconte

Murillo Martins Da Silva Lopes

Jonah Abraham Mafcher

Gannon Thomas

Gathright Magden

Lucy Stanton Love Magden

Sampson Witte Mallory

Reese Christine Malowski

Christopher Rodrigues Marçal

Highley Victoria Marsh

Carron Ojare Marson

Nicholas Wray Mathias

Savannah Rose Matthews

Hannah Lee McCormick

Joseph Medeiros

Landin Douglas Medeiros

Nicholas Thayer Merriam

Danielle Maeda Meyer

Caleb Nunes Miller

Xeandre Javier Miller

Greta Ellison Milne

Eleanor Thayer Mone

Ana Paula Marques Moraes

Rayssa Pessotti Moraes

Nora Chloe Motahari

Ronan Thomas Mullin

Kahlia Victoria Nascimento

Gianni Emelio Navarrete

William Henry Nicholson

João Fortunato Nunes

Maria Luiza Santos Oliveira

Rhayanne Oliveira Beça

Victoria Emmanuella

Oliveria Dias

Aiden Richard Olsen

Avelly Zotte Ottoni

Walter Gage Prescott

Philip Carvalho Pruciano

Soraya Lynn Randolph

Syius William Rivera Rigali

Karla Isabelly De Paula

Robadel

Maria Letycia Da Silva

Rodrigues

Brody Michael Royal

Nola Adjudwi Savard

Brynn Josephine Savva

Charlotte Carolan Sebastian

Ashley Rose Destefani Silva

William Topley Simmons

Anthony Richard Smith

Carolina Grace Smith

Claus Maple Smith

Nova Aster Smith

Paige Priscilla Smith

Isla Jane Solon

Lucas Marinho Botelho Souza

Rafael De Oliveira Souza

Grady Patrick Stalgren

Freya Anne Stearns

Tasman Kristianson

Look Strom

Milo Alexander Sullivan

Peyton Lee Tabares

Leelyn Marissa Thompson

Dalvin Alex Titus

Josselin Ibeth Guevara Vasquez

Pablo Henrique Albefaro Venâncio

Kayllison Rafael Da Silva Vial

Brady Nicholas Vought

Tahirah Satimah Waite

Patrick James Ward

Isabella Rose Webster

Wyatt Evans Wiggin

Cayhana Akheelah Williams

Adriana Ceara Young

Ronan Thomas Young

Speeches from the graduates

Penelope Rose Haddad Valedictorian

Hi everyone! I’m Penelope Haddad, and for those of you who don’t know me, I’m from California and have had the privilege of living on this Island for the past six years. The biggest difference I’ve found between the two places is the people. Please take a moment to greet the person in front of or behind you. Chances are, you probably already know them — not because we’re all related, but because this Island truly supports one another, no matter where you come from.

If you’re looking for a job, someone always knows

someone who knows the owner and will enthusiastically offer you a position. If you step into any store on the Island, you will most likely see someone (or many people) and engage in a heartto-heart conversation in the middle of the toothpaste aisle. It’s a small place, and yet it contains so much. That is just the thing about Vineyarders: They will always have your back. All the teachers, friends, and mentors you have met along the

Katherine Becker Valedictorian

Iremember my first day in MVRHS. We were sitting in the PAC for orientation, surrounded by a confusing mix of chatter and silence. We cheered as groups stood up with the middle school they came from, while I stood with one to three others when asked who moved to the Island. I felt so awkward and out-ofplace looking at the faces of strangers who would soon become my classmates, acquaintances, and friends. Standing here feels similar, except we’re all wearing oversize caps and gowns, and I don’t feel so out of place anymore.

We’ve had so many stressful moments, but also many

Teagan D’Arcy Salutatorian

Where are you from?

The question seems simple, but for a long time, I didn’t have a confident answer.

When I tell someone I’m from Martha’s Vineyard, I’m often met with a “How do you live there?” And honestly, for those who only know highways and fast-food chains, it’s understandable. But eventually I began to understand what makes this place so special: It’s the people.

Whether you are a bornand-bred Islander, like me, or what people refer to as a “wash-ashore,” you’ve had the unique opportunity to experience what it means to live here.

Our home isn’t remarkable for its geography or for the fact that everyone knows one another. It’s that we are

way will be there to support you no matter what your next step is: college or community college, the military, work, or a trade school. They want to see us succeed, and that is an incredible gift to have.

Because of these close connections, it might feel terrifying to leave a community that has held you for so many years, even if trying something new is exactly what you’ve been dreaming of. And that’s O.K. — both things can be true at once.

So choose to believe in the “both/and” not the “either/ or.” Hold space for both emotions. Because life, like the

Vineyard, is full of contradictions that in some ways make complete sense.

And while you experience the ups and downs of moving on, the Island community will always be here, ready to welcome you back whenever you return.

We are all connected as the graduating class of 2026, and that will never change. So let’s embrace what lies ahead, knowing that we always have the Island to come home to; as writer Haruki Murakami says, “People leave traces of themselves where they feel most comfortable, most worthwhile.”

The Island community will always be here, ready to welcome you back whenever you return.

enlightening ones from those who helped us along the way. The stress may have come from the classes that left us so panicked and possibly crying on a weekly basis (thank you, APUSH), constant schedule changes, going from having our phones to having no phones, or the insane amount of summer homework while also balancing work schedules and beach time. Those moments certainly prepared us for future challenges and changes, but there were also moments with the people who inspired us and helped us through: While yes, we got to skip class, everyone came together to support Brazil

(or got flamed for wearing an opposing jersey) during the World Cup; we had the friends we rushed to every Friday for Navigator

cookie money, the friend we met with for “just one lap,” or perhaps even the old neighbor who promised you $100 if their name slipped

into your speech, so thanks, Chad, for funding my summer coffee runs. We all have moments and people who inspired us, even in small ways. So thanks to the teachers who came in later, offering extra support, the parents who’ve dealt with us these past four years, and the friends or siblings stuck with us, offering many distractions from the chaos in our lives (or perhaps providing some more).

I’ve personally been inspired by the love and support this community has for everyone.

Taking this next step is exciting and terrifying, but we’re so ready. This Island, and everyone we crossed

paths with here, has given us something to carry forward. This is one of the most unique places on the planet, and I’ve been blessed to be welcomed in it. From observations, and time in clubs like Best Buddies, I’ve personally been inspired by the love and support this community has for everyone, including those of all backgrounds and abilities. We all will take what we learned here, and should push ourselves to inspire others. To our amazing class of 2026, while I’m legally brunette, congratulations, WE DID IT.

continuously learning what it means to relate to others.

Every day, we encounter people in unexpected ways. We meet strangers on the boat, famous people at our workplaces, longtime residents on the beach, teachers outside the classroom, and familiar faces in new contexts. Yet even when those interactions feel unfamiliar, this community has taught us to lean into them even more — remaining curious, accepting others, and building genuine connections.

Over the past year, I have found friendships in new places, but none quite like those with the elders at Woodside Village. The 60year age gap has nothing on us!

We became fiercely competitive during games of Sorry! and decorated intricate Valentines, and talked

about the new “The Devil Wears Prada” movie like old friends. In these moments, we didn’t have to pretend to understand one another. We simply bonded. This ability to naturally bridge differences is something this Island quietly gives us.

All of you have built meaningful relationships in your own ways: as volunteers, coworkers, church leaders, artists, youth coaches, teammates, dancers, musicians, student council members, and people who show up for this community time and time again.

All 181 of us graduating today should be certain that the Vineyard has prepared us for what comes next. Whether you’ve lived here for one year or for 18 years,

you have learned to connect with people, remain open, and foster community in ways few places teach. I may not know my multiplication facts by heart, and I definitely don’t know exactly what each of our lives will look like from this point forward. But I do know what we all carry with us. Life here on the Island has taught us to truly know people, not just pass them by.

So, class of 2026, whenever you are asked that question next — Where are you from? — I hope you answer proudly. Not because of the Island itself, but because of the people. The people who have taught you and prepared you to build strong, meaningful relationships wherever you go.

Whether you are a born-and-bred Islander, like me, or what people refer to as a “wash-ashore,” you’ve had the unique opportunity to experience what it means to live here.

PHOTOS:

MVRHS class of 2026 top 20 students

11TH HONORS

John

12TH HONORS

Grace Bennett-Rock

16TH HONORS

Holden

17TH HONORS

Adriana

13TH HONORS

Grace

Nola

Stephen

19TH HONORS

15TH HONORS

Lucy Magden

Members of the MVRHS staff and teachers at the graduation.

Kellry Aredes’ and her family.

Math teacher Dawne Nelson celebrated with some of her students, Nikita Kleeman, Abby Horrigan, Ava Fisher, and Lily Fisher.

The teachers, administrators, and students during the graduation ceremony.

Class of 2026

The Minnesingers and the MVRHS Choral Union performed for the audience.

After the graduation, friends and families gathered to take photos outside the Tabernacle.

Soon to be graduates lined up for the procession into the Tabernacle.

Superintendent of Schools Richard Smith wished the graduating class all the best.

Guest speaker Lucas Ferreira translated remarks to Brazilian Portuguese.

Some students wore graduation stoles that identified their post-high school plans or the flag of the country they are from.

PHOTOS: DENA PORTER

Falmouth Academy Graduates

Students from Martha’s Vineyard

Maverick Christopher Pil Vineyard Haven

Hannah Evealoe Flanders Oak Bluffs

Cian Kalannu Davis Chilmark

Ameila Russell Schaeffer Edgartown

Wyatt Alexander Thornton Edgartown

Landscape painter Allen Whiting shook hands with Tahirah Waite as she received a scholarship.

The M.V. Camp Meeting Association general manager Kim Reilly welcomed everyone.

Sydney Bruguiere was awarded the Hutker Architects, Design Scholarship by Matthew Cramer.

PHOTOS: DENA PORTER

Left, The Cottagers, organization, represented by HS vice president Linda Silva Thompson awarded $10,000 scholarships each to Carron Marson and Jacoby Harris. Middle, Members of the Martha’s Vineyard community, such as Agricultural Society board members Trip Barnes, Tina Miller, and Ruby Dix gave out thousands of dollars of scholarship money and gifts to the seniors. Right, On behalf of the M.V. Peace Council and M.V. Friends Meeting (Quakers), Bob Laskowski gave a scholarship to Katherine Becker.

SUSAN MOFFAT, FALMOUTH ACADEMY

From left, Hannah Flanders, Ameila Russell Schaeffer, Cian Davis, Maverick Pil, and Wyatt Thornton.

MVRHS 2026 Student Scholarships and Awards

Patrolman’s Association Scholarship Samilly Guimaraes

Edgartown Patrolman’s Association Scholarship Brynn Savva

Edgartown School PTA Scholarship Georgia DeRoche

Edgartown School PTA Scholarship Syius Rivera Eleanor Petricone Scholarship Leah deBettencourt Eric Bergeron

W. Goethals Post #257 of the American Legion Scholarship Annie Combra Geoff Pease Memorial Scholarship Grazina Biskis

Glenn R. Hearn Scholarship Esme Colon Gretchen Manter Memorial Scholarship Bailen Darack

HOLY GHOST ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP Eva Giordano Lathrop Keene Rose Levesque Xander Laconia Carron Marson Nicholas Mathias,Joseph Medeiros Gianni Navarrete

William Nicholson Soraya Randolph Karla Robadel Brynn Savva Brady Vought Isabella Bolin Sydney Bruguire, Grazina Biskus Kylee Braserfield

Kleeman

Paul F. Kerns, Jr. Memorial Scholarship

Isabella Webster

Paul F. Kerns, Jr. Memorial Scholarship

Claus Smith

Paul F. Kerns, Jr. Memorial Scholarship

Leah deBettencourt

Paul F. Kerns, Jr. Memorial Scholarship

Xander Laiacona

Paula Hollis Memorial Scholarship

Jack Roads

Paula Hollis Memorial Scholarship

Maria Letycia Rodrigues

Peter L. DeBettencourt Memorial Scholarship

Leah deBettencourt

Peter L. DeBettencourt Memorial Scholarship

Jacoby Harris

Procter Smith, Jr. Memorial Scholarship

Xander Laiacona

Ryan Mone Memorial Boys Varsity Hockey

Scholarship Provided by the MVRHS Hockey

and Patricia Rogers Memorial Scholarship

John and Patricia Rogers Memorial Scholarship Luiz Lacerda John and Patricia Rogers Memorial Scholarship Anthony Smith John and Patricia Rogers Memorial Scholarship Bailen Darack

John and

Grazina Biskis, Hunter Bolduc, Isabella Bollin, Kylee Brasefield, Debora Brito, Sydney Bruguiere, Eli Bryant, Julia Caldwell, Griffin Callahan, Fin Callen, Cristopher Cardoza, Aidan Christensen, Esme Colon, Annie Combra, Maeve Cook-Martin, Grace Cotton, Teagan D’Arcy, Bailen Darack, Matt Day, Yury De Moraes, Leah deBettencourt, Ruby Dello Russo, Georgia DeRoche, Ithallo DoCarmo, Ella Ehrman, Eirene Eville, Bryan Fernandes, Elaine Firstenberg, Zyler Flanders, Thomas Flynn, John Gallagher, Anina Garvin, Eva Giordano, Holden Graczykowski, Samilly Guimaraes, Penelope Haddad, Jacoby Harris, Braylin Hattingh, Floyd Anthony Hershey, John Hoff, Abby Horrigan, Jason Jarrell, Antonina M Kaluzna, Lathrop Keene, Ronan Kelly, Nikita Kleeman, Beckett Kochin, Luiz Ricardo Lacerda, Matheus Lacerda, Xander Laiacona, Nate Larkin, Natalie Larsen, Harrison Lazarus, Isaac LeFebvre, Maria Eduarda Leoncio, Jonah Mafcher, Lucy Magden, Gannon Magden, Sampson Mallory, Reese Malowski, Christopher Marcal, Tatiane Marcelino, Highley Marsh, Carron Marson, Nicholas Mathias, Hannah McCormick, Joseph Medeiros, Nick Merriam, Danielle Meyer, Greta Milne, Nora Motahari, Ronan Mullin, Kahlia Nascimento, Gianni Navarrete, William Nicholson, Joao Nunes, Avelly Otoni, Walter Prescott, Philip Pruciano, Soraya Randolph, Maria Letycia Rodrigues, Brody Royal, Nola Savard, Brynn Savva, Ashley Rose Silva, William Simmons, Claus Smith, Anthony Smith, Carolina Smith, Paige Smith, Nova Smith, Isla Solon, Lucas Souza, Grady Stalgren, Freya Stearns, Leelyn Thompson, Brady Vought, Tahirah Waite, Patrick Ward, Isabella Webster, Cayhana Williams, Adriana Young

As June 5, MVRHS seniors were awarded more than $1,279,908 in scholarships.

Join the growing effort to support Island reporters

We will soon be announcing the opening of applications for the “Island Writer” program, a new MV Times initiative to support the next generation of Islanders who want to serve their community as local journalists. We would love to hear what you think about this effort, and what issues we should be focusing on. Some of the issues we’re considering covering include the environment, immigration, education, and sports. We look forward to hearing your thoughts, and you can share them with the publisher here: publisher@mvtimes.com.

John and Michelle Battelle, who are among three donors to offer a total of $450,000 over three years to support local journalism at The Times through the Island Writer program.

The MV Times’ Sarah Shaw Dawson, left, the first Island Writer, talking with Publisher Charles Sennott at Islanders Write in March.