Good afternoon families, friends, faculty and, most importantly, the Wilton High School graduating Class of 2026.
Today, I have the privilege of speaking to you from a perspective few get to enjoy. I have had a front-row seat to nearly your entire journey through the Wilton Public Schools. You may not remember, but I recall the first time we met in the fall of 2014. I watched you step off those big yellow buses and walk into the old Miller-Driscoll School as first graders.
You were the last class to occupy that beloved building before it was transformed. None of us knew it at the time, but it was a fitting beginning for a class that would spend the next 12 years masterfully navigating disruptive change.
You fell in love with mat ball at Cider Mill. You spent half your time at Middlebrook wearing masks and negotiating six feet of physical distance. And then, you walked into Wilton High School and did the hard work of re-normalizing our community. You have lived through a global pandemic. You have watched the world shift in ways few generations before you ever have. And through it all, you have adapted.
As I’ve reflected on your journey, I kept returning to a book [former Cider Mill Principal] Dr. [Jen] Falcone read to you back at Cider Mill. Maybe you remember it, it’s titled, The Day the Crayons Quit.
If you recall, each crayon in that story becomes frustrated because it feels unseen, undervalued or misused. As I look out at you today and marvel at the fine young men and women you’ve become, I believe that you are the crayons that didn’t quit.
You kept drawing. You kept creating. You kept showing up. Each of you has brought your own distinct color to this community.
- A number of you brought the sharp, bright colors of scholarship and intellectual curiosity.
- Others brought the bold colors of athletic excellence.
- Many of you filled our stages, art studios and music rooms with vivid and luminous beauty.
- And all of you brought the irreplaceable colors of kindness, service, leadership, humor and compassion.
Together, your colors have blended to create something truly remarkable: a masterpiece called the Class of 2026.
Now, let’s be honest: your class is extraordinarily accomplished. Your academic achievements place you among the very best in Connecticut. You have excelled in athletics, the arts, service and leadership. But after watching you for 12 years, I can tell you that while your accomplishments are impressive, who you are as human beings is what makes you unforgettable.
You are all too young to remember Mr. Rogers, but your parents certainly do. He famously gave a piece of advice for times of trial: “Look for the helpers.”
Class of 2026, I think he was talking about you.
Over the past decade, I’ve watched you serve as those helpers. I’ve watched you lift up your teammates after difficult losses. I’ve watched you rally around friends who were struggling. I’ve witnessed countless acts of quiet kindness that never made the newspaper, never appeared on social media, and never showed up on a transcript.
Those invisible moments tell the true story of this class. And while that spirit belongs to all of you, there is one member of this class who beautifully embodies the heart of this community.
Can we talk for a minute about Patch Angerame?
Every graduating class has individuals who become the soul of a school. I think we can all agree, Patch is the heart of Wilton High School. His infectious smile, his rabid enthusiasm and ever-present high-fives, his warmth and his ability to bring pure joy to others remind us of what actually matters. In a world that often over-accentuates achievement, Patch reminds us to accentuate humanity. In a culture that often highlights hostility, Patch epitomizes affection.
Patch, thank you for making the Wilton Public Schools a brighter, more joyful place.
And speaking of joy, Class of 2026 I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge one of your more unexpected contributions to Wilton history. For reasons that may forever remain a mystery, this class single-handedly brought back… Hacky Sack.
Not only did you bring it back, you embraced it with varsity enthusiasm. Lilly Way became an arena and lunch periods became tournaments. Suddenly, a pastime many of us thought was left behind in the late 1900s became cool again. And I have it on good authority, thank you, Instagram, that you are the official 2026 CIAC Hacky Sack Leaders.
There is actually something profoundly beautiful about that. At a time when so much of human interaction is mediated through digital devices, you rediscovered something wonderfully simple: standing in a circle, laughing together, encouraging one another, and trying to keep something airborne just a little bit longer.
It turns out a community doesn’t always need a sophisticated platform. Sometimes, it just needs a hacky sack.
Maya Angelou famously wrote: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Class of 2026, the reason your teachers, your families and your community are so deeply proud of you today is not just because of what you achieved. It is because of how you made this place feel. You’ve made Wilton kinder, stronger and more joyful.
As you leave us, you carry something far more powerful than a diploma. You carry your values, your relationships and your proven capacity to care for others. The world you are inheriting is not without its challenges, but after watching you grow for 12 years, I am brimming with optimism.
I have seen your colors.
I know what you can build.
Thank you for letting us be a part of your story. Congratulations. We are so incredibly proud of you.
Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for… by the authority vested in me by the State of Connecticut and the Wilton Board of Education, as the Superintendent of Schools, on this 13th day of June in the year 2026, I certify that the members of the Wilton High School Class of 2026 have successfully met all requirements for graduation and are hereby declared graduates of Wilton High School.
Madame Chair, I proudly present to you, and to the Board of Education, the Wilton High School Class of 2026!
