The West Islip High School Class of 2026 gathered on the football field for the 69th commencement exercises on June 26. Joined by family, friends, administrators, board of education members and staff, the students celebrated the conclusion of their academic journeys together.

Following Gavin Pollock’s rendition of the “The Star-Spangled Banner,” West Islip High School Principal Andrew O’Farrell offered his words of advice as the soon-to-be-graduates begin their next chapter. “Your future will be built through the habits you create, the standards you set, the people you surround yourself with, and the choices you make when nobody is watching,” he said. “Every opportunity in life comes through the relationships you build with others. Never underestimate their value. Remember the relationships you built here with teachers who believed in you, coaches who motivated and challenged you, friends who supported you, and family members who sacrificed so much to help you reach this moment. Continue building those relationships wherever life takes you next.”

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Romanelli urged the students to be proud of who they have become, not just of their accomplishments. “One of the greatest privileges in life is making someone proud,” he said. “But eventually, you discover something even more important. You learn to be proud of yourself not because you’re perfect or because you've accomplished everything you set out to do but because you know how hard you've worked. You know the challenges you’ve overcome. You know the obstacles that nobody else saw. And when you recognize your own growth, something powerful happens. You gain confidence to keep moving forward.”

Board of Education President Peter McCann remarked about the kindness that the members of the Class of 2026 have shown for each other and their community. “The biggest success story is the class and kindness that you have shown along your journey,” he said. “When I look out among all of you, I see hope — hope for our community and our country. The manner in which you conduct yourselves each day provides us that hope that this community and this world will be in good hands. I see the smiles on your faces, and I see kindness. A kindness that is needed today in every aspect of our lives.”

After recognizing the top 10 academic leaders in the class, Anthony DeMaio and Dana Shi, the top two academic leaders, addressed their classmates. Speaking about their potential, DeMaio said “Potential is an invitation. An invitation to take risks. An invitation to learn from your failures. An invitation to dedicate yourself to improving. An invitation that you don’t accept alone. Behind each graduate sitting here this evening are the parents, teachers, coaches, mentors, siblings and friends who put their faith in us when we struggled to even believe in ourselves: someone who helped you along this journey of growth.”

Shi urged her classmates to enjoy the little moments in life; because those little moments end up being the big ones. “Somewhere between the grades, the pressure, the expectations, and the uncertainty… we were already becoming someone,” she said. “Someone shaped by loss and love and sacrifice and friendship and survival. Someone our younger selves would probably be proud of, even if we still struggle to see it now. And maybe that feeling of inadequacy never fully leaves. Maybe there will always be another version of ourselves we think we should be by now. But if these past four years taught me anything, it’s that a meaningful life is probably not built in the big moments we imagine for ourselves.”

The graduates were then called to the stage one by one to receive their diplomas and congratulations from Dr. Romanelli, members of the board of education and Mr. O’Farrell. Following the presentation of diplomas, the graduation ensemble played the West Islip alma mater song and Class of 2026 President Kayla Frangoulis addressed her peers for closing remarks. “Life will be pulling us in different directions where we will have to make new friends, but a part of us will always be connected by the years we spent at West Islip High School,” she said. “But what makes me most proud of our class isn't what we’ve accomplished individually; it's the impact we’ve had as a group. Whether we realize it or not, each person here has played a role in someone else’s story and has left West Islip High School better than when we entered it.”

The members of the Class of 2026 then moved their tassels from right to left and tossed their caps high in the air in celebration. As the band played “New York, New York,” family members and friends joined the graduates on the football field.