Hats Fly for the Scarsdale High School Class of 2026

There were many questions flying before the Scarsdale High School graduation on Thursday June 18, 2026 …. Would the speakers and students stick to their scripts and refrain from political rhetoric? Would the rainy skies clear in time for the 7 pm ceremony? And what about the 25 mile mph winds?

Fortunately all the answers favored the Class of 2026. The 376 grads, which included 18 sets of twins,  marched onto Dean Field with a stiff breeze at their backs and sunny skies overhead. The ceremony avoided political statements and concluded with a stunning pink sunset.

The class filed onto the field, led by faculty advisers Eileen Cagner and Christopher Hughes, cheered by a line-up for their teachers along the route, accompanied by the sound of Pomp and Circumstance played by the Honors Wind Ensemble. Amanda Gundling led a vocal performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” by a group of senior class chorus members before the opening of the ceremony.

Board of Education member Amber Yusuf extended congratulations to the grads on behalf of the Board. She said, “You have completed a rigorous and demanding course of study to earn your Scarsdale diploma, and you have done so with resilience, creativity, and grace. Over these past four years, you have grown in ways that perhaps you cannot yet fully see — sharpening your ability to think critically and communicate clearly, to listen carefully and work collaboratively, and to meet challenge with curiosity rather than fear. You have supported one another, forged deep friendships, and found your footing in an ever-changing world. As you pause tonight to reflect on everything you have accomplished, I hope you feel as proud of yourselves as we are of you.”

“You graduate at a moment of extraordinary complexity and extraordinary possibility. The world you are stepping into is moving faster than any generation before you has experienced — shaped by artificial intelligence, by geopolitical uncertainty, by questions about democracy and civic life that do not have easy answers. It would be understandable to find that daunting. But we would ask you to find it energizing instead. Because the skills you have built here — the ability to think critically, to question thoughtfully, to hold uncertainty with intellectual curiosity rather than anxiety — are precisely what this moment demands. The world needs people who know how to ask the right questions, and who have the courage to pursue them honestly. You are those people.”

“We hope you will carry with you always our school motto of Non Sibi - not for oneself. Engage with others with kindness and an open heart. Lead with integrity, serve with empathy, and live with purpose.”

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Class Treasurer Matthew Nussbaum reported that “Our class account is financially strong, but your potential is far stronger.” He thanked the class faculty advisers who he called, “the dream team for helping them to plan ambitious activities like the class play, prom and lunches for a hundred days. He said the advisors taught them to be a “Coalition of the Willing,” setting a positive example and demonstrating that a successful community is one that works together.

Faculty Advisers Cagner and Hughes joked, “We are here to celebrate something beautlful… the graduation? No the NY Knicks!”

They said at the start the class was “Rough around the edges with enormous potential.” They advised to “never stop asking questions, because curiosity is how you continue to grow…. Challenge yourself by asking questions first…. You are defined by the choices you make. Though success is important, don’t let others define your success. Do well and do good…. In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” Harkening back to the Knicks Cagner said, “When you face your own fourth quarter deficit,” think of this line from “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.” “Don’t panic… you got this!”

Cameron Bree Hersley thanked the school faculty and staff, saying, “We were shaped by their unwavering support.” “They challenged us every day and taught us how to ask better questions – and believe in ourselves. Thanks to the Deans for helping us work through some of the most stressful years of our lives. The Class of 2026 says thank you to everyone who helped us get to this moment.”

Class VP Joseph Pappalardo thanked the faculty for leading the class through traditions and memories that we will remember throughout our lives.” He said, “Standing up here is surreal… I just graduated and the Knicks won in 5! He said he “Worked alongside Class President Vanessa Karp like Batman and Robin.” He called her an “Outstanding leader who worked tirelessly and made sure everyone’s voices were heard.”

Vanessa Karp, Class President said that something strange happened at the beginning of their senior year. Phones were banned from school. She said, “I saw kids looking at each other instead of their phones.” She remembered freshman year, when following the COVID crisis, the class returned to school, “unmasked and un-distanced.” She said, “We were finally being normal again, and making up for lost time and this class just clicked.” She said, “376 of us graduate today. We’re a large class but we never felt divided … we pulled for our classmates who won sports championships and represented us at the world robotics contest…. Even the challenges that divided us allowed us to connect further and form stronger bonds.”

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She continued, “Maybe the recent changes allowed us to slow down the threats to human connection. The unmasking and un-phoning helped me to develop stronger bonds than I would have expected. I hope we can bring the connectivity and inclusivity with us wherever we go.”

She ended with, “One last time, Scarsdale High – bye, bye, bye.”

Scarsdale High School Principal and scholar, Kenneth Bonamo put the graduation into historical perspective and called on the students to be engaged citizens.

Here are excerpts from his remarks:

“Your class graduates at a remarkable moment in our nation’s history. In just over two weeks, our country will mark the Semi-quin-centennial, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This upcoming anniversary invites us to look back at this inspirational document of our American heritage, which fundamentally changed the course of history by invoking the principles of human equality and natural rights and by arguing that a government derives its legitimacy from the consent of the governed and not on royal ancestry, divine right, or military conquest.

The Declaration marks the very first time the phrase “the United States of America” was used to refer to our country, providing a singular, binding vision that unified thirteen separate, divergent colonies under a shared political identity.

The Declaration popularized the radical Enlightenment idea that individuals possess unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that no government has the right to grant or to take away. As the world’s first successful declaration of independence, it shattered the myth of the invincibility of imperial monarchies. In fact, it explicitly states that if a government becomes destructive to these rights, the people have a moral and legal right to alter or abolish that government. And the phrase “all men are created equal” became a foundational moral compass that later inspired abolitionists, suffragists, and civil rights leaders to compel the nation to expand its definition of equality. The upcoming anniversary of the Declaration reminds us every person possesses inherent dignity, and that liberty exists so that each individual may pursue a meaningful life. Every generation has had to understand these rights more deeply, defend them more faithfully, and apply them to new circumstances. Now that responsibility begins to pass to you.

You have been prepared for this responsibility by your education here, which we signify today by graduating you with a diploma. We have certainly hoped to teach you mathematics, science, literature, history, languages, and the arts in a curriculum designed around the liberal arts. They are called liberal arts because in the ancient world, these subjects were considered the essential education required for a free citizen to participate actively in civic life, exercise political rights, and think critically. So behind every exam, every lab, and every essay, there has been a larger purpose: to help you learn how to think, how to distinguish truth from falsehood, how to exercise sound judgment, and how to accept the responsibilities that accompany freedom and fulfill the duties of citizenship that will sustain our democracy.

Citizenship is an obligation, and although politics can color its meaning, it remains a largely straightforward concept, focused on how we live together. Yet education is meant to prepare us not only for public life, but also for the inner life. Citizenship asks how we should live with others. Just as important is the question of how we should live with ourselves.

What does it mean to be a good person? What makes a life meaningful? Those questions are more difficult, more personal, and ultimately more enduring than any political debate. They are questions each of us must answer over the course of a lifetime.

Rather than trying to construct a perfect identity today, remain open to a sense of purpose. Pay attention to the questions that continually draw your curiosity and to work that fully engages your mind. Often, we discover ourselves not by looking inward, but by committing ourselves wholeheartedly to something beyond ourselves. A meaningful life is seldom found through the direct pursuit of happiness. More often, happiness emerges as the byproduct of living with purpose.

Living with purpose also requires humility. None of us possesses a monopoly on wisdom, virtue, or understanding. You will encounter people who disagree with you about politics, religion, economics, science, and culture. Resist the temptation to dismiss those with whom you disagree. Listen carefully. Think critically. Speak honestly. Have the courage to change your mind when the evidence demands it, and the courage to stand by your convictions when your conscience requires it.

This brings us to the theme of our motto, Non Sibi—not for oneself, but for others. This motto reminds us that education reaches its highest purpose only when our talents are placed in the service of others. It asks you to use your talents to benefit society. Indeed, your success will ultimately be measured not by how much you take for yourself, but by how much you give of yourself to leave our world better than you have found it. If you bring the impulse of non sibi to both the duties of citizenship and the journey of finding purpose, you will be on the path to a life of contribution, meaning, and fulfillment.

Finally, I urge you to build a legacy of love. The key to successfully navigating the many challenges that lie ahead will be to infuse love into your work, your relationships, and your self-regard. If you look around this field, you see your family and friends who demonstrated love in supporting you, and your teachers who loved guiding you. Most importantly, look at yourself and love what you see—an intelligent, curious, responsible person, poised to make the most of the gifts you have been given.

May you seek truth with humility, pursue your purpose with courage, serve others generously, and build a legacy of love. Congratulations, Class of 2026.”

With that Superintendent Drew Patrick certified the graduation and called on the class to go forth and serve the common good.

Each student's name was called by the high deans and they came to the podium to shake hands with the principal, receive their diploma and pose for a photo.

When the roll call was complete they threw up their hats into the windy sky as a final goodbye to their high school careers.