For 259 seniors, last Friday night’s commencement ceremony marked the culmination of four years of academic achievement, personal growth and lasting friendships as the South Side High School class of 2026 received diplomas at the Rockville Centre School District’s graduation ceremony at Hofstra University.
Family members, friends, faculty and district officials filled the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex as graduates reflected on their shared experiences and prepared to take their next steps beyond South Side.
Principal Dr. Patrick Walsh, addressing the class he has come to know since they arrived as freshmen, said that faculty members consistently viewed them as a standout group defined by both achievement and character.
Walsh encouraged the graduates to define success on their own terms rather than by external expectations.
“Define success for yourself,” he told them. “Know your values. Let them guide your decisions. A meaningful life is not built by making the same choices as everyone else. It’s built by making choices that reflect who you are and what you hope to become.”
In her remarks, salutatorian Abigail Gruner told her classmates that uncertainty is part of life after graduation, noting that not all plans unfold as expected.
“Nothing is supposed to stay the same forever,” Gruner said. “There is something out there waiting for us, even — or maybe especially — if it isn’t the plan.”
She urged her fellow graduates to remain resilient as they move forward. “Keep your head high,” she said.
“Keep fighting for what matters to you. Keep trying, keep loving, keep living and, most importantly, keep finding happiness, even if it is in the smallest moment at the end of the day.”
Valedictorian Megan Chiara reflected on the accomplishments of the graduating class, which included achievements in academics, athletics, the arts and service organizations across the district.
“Although each of us stands here as an individual, none of us reached this moment alone,” Chiara said. “We are a reflection of the community that has supported us every step of the way.”
She added that the most lasting memories of high school are not academic accolades, but relationships.
Kelly Barry, president of the Board of Education, also addressed the graduates, reflecting on their journey from kindergarten through senior year and the resilience they showed along the way.
“The future has a way of arriving more quickly and more beautifully than any of us ever expected,” she said.
Superintendent Matthew Gaven presented the district’s highest senior honors, the Laurel Awards, recognizing excellence in scholarship, leadership, service and character, to Molly Reardon and William Barriocanal.
Other major awards included the South Side High School Leadership Award, given to Alaina Rivera, and the Dr. Richard Byers School and Community Service Award, presented to Eric Greene.
Senior class president Christian Chan closed the ceremony by urging classmates to be intentional about how they spend their lives after high school.
“Check your ladder,” Chan said. “What are you climbing toward? The big things — your relationships, your faith, your family, your purpose. Make sure the wall it’s leaning against is worth the climb.
“In case you missed any of that,” he continued with a smile, “let me break it down for you.” He then burst into a brief beatboxing demonstration, drawing laughter and cheers from the crowd, skills he said he learned during the pandemic.
Following the conferring of diplomas and the traditional turning of tassels, the members of the class of 2026 officially became South Side High graduates, closing one chapter and stepping into the next.
