A Sunny Celebration of the Class of 2026

The ceremony included speeches from Dahlem, Board President Alan D. Rose, Jr. ’87, faculty speaker Keith Zalaski, and student speaker Will Lorion. Rose, who will conclude his time as president of the board this summer, commented, “To the Class of 2026: We are so proud of who you have become. As I ‘graduate’ from the Board, I carry with me a deep pride in our shared history. Stay engaged, stay connected, and always remember that you have a home here on Winter Street.”

Zalaski, whose impending family move marks his departure from Rivers after 11 years as a math teacher and basketball coach, named “gratitude and attitude” as the theme of his speech. He spoke to the importance of seeking fulfillment through growth and community, noting, “Life gets much better when you stop trying to impress everyone and start trying to build something meaningful with the people around you.” Zalaski described his own experience at Rivers as helping him learn that lesson.

“Graduates, as you head into this next chapter, I hope you set ambitious goals. I hope you chase meaningful things,” Zalaski said. “But I also hope you focus deeply on the controllable parts of your life: your effort, your attitude, your consistency, your relationships, and how you choose to show up every single day.” 

In his remarks, Dahlem highlighted the Class of 2026’s achievements in academics, athletics, and the arts, as well as the ways the class has lived out Rivers’ core values of integrity, perseverance, empathy, curiosity, and joy. He then urged the class to move through life with a particular attention to the feeling of “awe.” 

“Researchers have found that awe isn’t just a fleeting, pleasant emotion,” Dahlem said. “It acts as a powerful catalyst that structurally alters our biology and cognitive framing. Importantly, it offers distinct mental and physical health benefits, from stress reduction to making us feel less lonely. It also makes us more generous and more creative.”

Dahlem reminded the class that awe doesn’t only come from grand scenery or highly anticipated experiences—small, “lightning-bolt” moments of awe are just as important. Dahlem encouraged the class to seek out awe in everyday life, to pay attention to moral beauty—the “ordinary goodness” in other people—and to find community. 

“Think about how you can take the awe you experienced here, carry it into the world, and pursue more of these awe opportunities,” Dahlem said.

This year’s student speaker, Will Lorion, began his speech by recounting a recent moment of awe. He described watching an unbelievable sunset at Nonesuch Pond with classmates one week before graduation and the bittersweet feeling of experiencing something beautiful together, right before the end of this chapter. The moment led him to think about his Rivers experience as mirroring the movement of the sun over the course of one day, with Grade 9 as sunrise and Grade 12 as sunset.

“So what comes after sunset? Night. Yes, I know that sounds a little ominous, because night means uncertainty in the dark. And that’s exactly where we’re heading. New schools. Uncharted cities. Unfamiliar people. Constantly evolving versions of ourselves,” Lorion said. “For the first time in a long time, we won’t be able to plan every detail. Personally, I think that’s a little bit terrifying. But I also think that’s what growing up is. Because no matter how dark the night gets, we always can rest easy knowing one simple fact. The sun rises again.”

Continuing the metaphor of sunrises and sunsets, Lorion urged his classmates not to “sleep through” the sunrise of the next chapter of their lives. Speaking from his Rivers experience, he said, “Don’t let the stress of being somewhere new keep you from seeing the beauty at the beginning. Because someday, years from now, you’ll realize those ordinary moments were actually the sunrise happening.”

Lorion, whose speech was met with a standing ovation, concluded, “Thank you to my classmates and friends for the memories, the laughs, and these four insane, stressful, infinitely complex, and beautifully bright years.”

A whirlwind of Rivers traditions followed Lorion’s speech: Dahlem read a tribute to each graduate as they received their diploma, and then the class exited the tent through a tunnel of faculty, tossed their caps into the air at the flagpole, and dashed into Nonesuch Pond, celebrating one final, sunny moment together.