Friendship guides Frontier’s Class of 2026 into the future

SOUTH DEERFIELD — On the Frontier Regional School football field on Friday night, the 95 graduates of the Class of 2026 were encouraged to continue asking “what if.”

“‘What if’ is the question behind every invention, every movement, every act of courage and every dream that once seemed impossible,” said commencement speaker Ashley Randle, commissioner of the state Department of Agricultural Resources. “And this year, that question seems especially meaningful. … Here you are, 250 years since the founding of our country, sitting in your own moment of uncertainty and possibility.”

While the graduates ended their time in high school looking to the future and wondering what could be next, the student speakers reflected on their time together as Redhawks. A common theme emerged — friendship is what brought them together, and friendship was what helped them succeed.

“Again and again, the story is the same. Perhaps it was because we were forced to stay away from each other in middle school, and just like COVID, friendship was contagious,” Class Co-President Rowan Modestow said of the Class of 2026 supporting each other. “Our achievements have made a lasting impact, with the relationships behind them mattering even more.”

A class trip to New York City during the graduates’ sophomore year, where they saw “The Lion King” on Broadway, was a through line in a multitude of speeches. Each of the student speakers walked away from that experience feeling closer to their classmates, after their eighth grade class trip had been canceled due to the pandemic. Teagan Hale, co-president of Frontier’s National Honor Society, said this trip is what turned the class from “cohorts one and two” into one united class.

“Some of us have known each other our entire lives, and others joined our community much later,” Hale said. “But over the years, we have become each other’s cheerleaders. Above all else, our class prioritizes a balance between personal achievement and the community we have created.”

Superintendent Darius Modestow shared an anecdote about Senior Skip Day, as more than 10 graduates were children of staff members in the district. He said calls were made across the building to ask where their children were, including a call to the police chief, whose child is also a student. But this anecdote, he said, represented a larger picture of the community created at Frontier.

“It’s wonderful to stand before you tonight, not only in my capacity as superintendent, but as the unofficial representative of parents and families gathered here this evening,” Modestow said. “The secret sauce of this class isn’t what’s found behind the walls, but it’s found in the families, the teachers, the coaches, the mentors, the grandparents, the neighbors and friends, who helped shape these graduates into the people they are today.”

When thinking about what to write for her speech, class Co-President Anna Haskins started considering what defined their class and she kept coming back to one word: friendship.

“Friendship isn’t about never having disagreements. It’s about showing up anyway,” Haskins said. “When people look at our class, one of the first things they notice is how close we are. … The friendships we have built over the past six years have not only shaped us into better people, but also taught us how to be better friends.”

Graduates

*indicates National Honor Society

Julian Lewis Adams, Leandro Adiel Amaya, Jocelyn Marie Antes, *Madelyn Rose Antes, Sydnie Mae Augustine, Benjamin Joseph Ayotte, Ruby Rae Band, Shawn Mason Baumann, Tyler Matthew Belue, *Addison Grace Bergeron, Soren James Bialek, Clinton James Anthony Breuer, *McCavery John Burgess, *Whitney Marie Campbell, Ryan Kevin Cetto, W. Jacob Cornelison, *Austin Salvatore D’Urso, *Macy Maria DeMaio, Garrett Earle Dredge, Alexander Christopher Ellis, Dallace Coralee Engerman, Madelyn Joy Fagan, Caleb Matthew Fisher, Diego Lafayette Frazier, *Ashlie Paige Galenski, *Beckett Gebo, *Tatsuya Cornelius Goodrow, Matthew Grant Graveline, Logan James Grincavitch, Greta Miller Hale, *Teagan Margaret Kallal Hale, Magnus Harrison, Amelia Mae Hartner, Anna Morissette Haskins, Sofia Kaelie-Rae Hebert, Reese Marc Hervieux, McClellan Jonathan Wayne Hill, E. Taylor Hodgeman, *Luke Crosbie Howard, Malcolm Jameson Barrett Howard, Callan Burr Jackson, Emma Riley Johnson, William Joseph Johnson, Alexandria C. Jones, *Josephine Elizabeth Joyce, Lauryn Loveland Kalinowski, Matthew Alexander Kolakoski, Kiera Sophia Korenewsky, *Taylor Ellen Krusiewski, David Timothy Tuesca, *Eric Anton Larsson, *Romy Frederique Leuchs-Curtis, London Anthony Lewis, Connor Tagore Mabius, Caitlin Julia Booth Maio, Cadence Nicole Martin, Morgan Hope Mason, Jacoby Erik Merrill, Carter Earl Miller, *Maximo R.C. Millette, Cristopher Cramer Mitchell, *Rowan Knowles Modestow, *Addison Quinn Morrey, Julia Lin Morse, Dylan Thomas O’Sullivan, *Ian Jacob Paciorek, *Adrien Emmanuel Pazmandy, Genesis Dayami Perez, Jack H. Phillips, Brady Ryan Poreda, Augustus Joseph Radner, John Justice Reloj, Ellyana Rose Rivadeneira-Goodwin, Ashley Grace Rivard, Ethan Emmanuel Rivera, Nathan Gabriel Rivera, Carter David Robinson, Alisa Saalfrank, *Amalia Irene Smith, Tristen Russell Smith, Myriam Soto-Diaz, Jaxon Lewis Paul Spearance, Aiden R. St. Hilaire, Madison Deborah St. Hilaire, *Shannon Kathleen Terry-Nugent, Tristan J. Valderrama, *Aisla Rose Varnon, Leo Brookes Vickery, Kate Elizabeth Walker, *Lillian Grace Walker-Hanning, Rouzane Joshua Williams and Emily Patricia Woods.

Senior Awards

Superintendent’s Award — Romy Leuchs-Curtis.

AP Seminars and Research Program Award — Austin D’Urso, Diego Frazier and Sofia Hebert.

AP Capstone Diploma Recognition Award — Rowan Modestow, Adrien Pazmandy and Aisla Varnon.

Excellence in the Visual Arts Award — Morgan Mason, Amalia Smith and Emily Woods.

Director’s Award for Orchestra — Magnus Harrison.

National School Orchestra Award — Aisla Varnon.

Leonard Bernstein Award — Leo Vickery.

Patrick S. Gilmore Award — Sofia Hebert.

Director’s Award for Band — Reese Hervieux.

John Philip Sousa Award — McCavery Burgess.

Fab Lab Student of the Year Award — Emma Johnson.

Intro to Woodworking Student of the Year Award — Ashlie Galenski.

Furniture and Cabinetmaking Student of the Year Award — Callan Jackson.

CNC Operators of the Year Award — Garrett Dredge and Aiden St. Hilaire.

Senior English Award — Lillian Walker-Hanning.

Frontier Community Access Television (FCAT) Service Award — Connor Mabius.

Senior French Award — Addison Bergeron and Tatsuya Goodrow.

Spanish Award — Jocelyn Antes, Madelyn Antes, Ruby Band, Austin D’Urso, Anna Haskins, Maximo Millette, Addison Morrey, Ethan Rivera, Aisla Varnon and Augustus Radner.

Seal of Biliteracy Award — David Tuesca, Leandro Amaya, Diego Frazier, Genesis Perez and Adrien Pazmandy.

Mathematics Achievement Award — Whitney Campbell, Tatsuya Goodrow, Eric Larsson, Romy Leuchs-Curtis, Maximo Millette, Ian Paciorek and Shannon Terry- Nugent.

Science Department Award — Josephine Joyce, McCavery Burgess and Lillian Walker-Hanning.

Special Education Department Ruth Bohrer Student Achievement Award — John Reloj and Alisa Saalfrank.

Civics Engagement Award in Social Studies — Amalia Smith.

Excellence in Social Studies Award — Malcolm Howard.

Yearbook Award — Whitney Campbell, Macy DeMaio, Ashlie Galenski, Taylor Krusiewski, Madison St. Hilaire and Shannon Terry-Nugent.

Silver F Award — Whitney Campbell, Macy DeMaio, Austin D’Urso, Ashlie Galenski, Greta Hale, Teagan Hale, Connor Mabius, Cadence Martin, Jack Phillips, Brady Poreda and Shannon Terry-Nugent.