As a high school principal, you quickly learn to accept that you cannot control everything, especially a New England weather forecast in June. When the clouds rolled in and the first raindrops began to fall right at the start of our outdoor commencement ceremony, I looked out at the Class of 2026 and thought about how incredibly special this afternoon was going to be. I knew right then that the rain wasn’t going to dampen the day; it was going to make it an absolute blast, creating a completely unique, unforgettable memory for our graduates and their families.

This sense of shared adventure is what defines this class. Writing this column for the Gorham Times gives me a welcome opportunity to reflect on who these seniors really are. Having gotten to know them over the past four years, I can say confidently that they are a group that navigates a challenge with grace and resilience.

Gorham is a town that consistently shows up for its youth, and this class eagerly invested that energy right back into our community. While GHS requires a baseline of 20 community service hours to graduate, these seniors completely crushed that standard, logging a staggering 9,178 hours, which is roughly 48 hours per graduate. That drive to engage with the real world is stitched into the very fabric of this class, represented by individuals like Aiden Cahill, who has expanded his own landscaping business since age 12, and Matt Crowley, who has braved the open waters as a commercial lobsterman since he was 8. We see it in Ayden Hale mastering heavy industrial farm machinery, Gavin Devine training for his private pilot’s license, and Izzy Phinney student teaching at Great Falls Elementary. Our students excelled on every stage imaginable, from Haley Vickery serving as Chief Supreme Justice at Dirigo State, to Shane Morrison competing in 16 regional and state athletic championships, to Gavin Monkiewicz bringing big band music to local nursing homes with the Saco River Jazz Ensemble.

As the rain fell, the words spoken from the podium beautifully captured this collective journey. Class President Stella Moores reminded her peers that growing up doesn’t mean losing who you are, noting that “our growth was never a matter of leaving our childhood behind, but carrying it along with us.” Salutatorian Eleanor Morgan gave us a masterclass in vulnerability, sharing her own fear of the unknown and charging her classmates to embrace uncertainty: “Say ‘yes,’ not for the final outcome, but for the experience that will help you grow.” Valedictorian Kayleigh Bauer moved the crowd by sharing how she overcame the shadow of her older brother’s legacy – and her old nickname, “Dollar Tree Bauer” – reminding us that high school is a place to find your own identity. “Success isn’t a single straight path,” Kayleigh shared, “but something we define as we go.”

Then came our keynote speaker, beloved English teacher Dave Patterson, who delivered a profound message on what it means to work for your dreams. Echoing the sentiment of the afternoon, he reminded the seniors that the obstacles they face are exactly what forged them. “Who you are is defined by what you’re willing to struggle for,” Mr. Patterson said. “Struggling for what you want is not a burden; it’s a gift.”

And then, just as the speeches concluded, the most extraordinary thing happened. Right as we transitioned to the presentation of diplomas, the storm broke. The rain stopped and the sun flooded in. Under blue skies, the seniors sang their class song, “The Best Day of Our Lives” by American Authors. It was a breathtaking transition from the storm to the bright futures ahead. By the time the final diplomas were in hand, the stadium was sun-drenched. The graduates flung their caps and made their triumphant exit to the soaring guitars of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird,” a fitting anthem for a class finally taking flight. Long after the music faded, families remained spread across the green grass under a perfect sky, taking beautiful, radiant pictures together.

To the Class of 2026: you weathered the storm, you earned your sunshine, and you have made us all incredibly proud.