The Kennedy High School Class of 2026 was celebrated on the school field on June 14 amid a sea of Cougar green pomp and circumstance as graduates, families, faculty and staff gathered for commencement exercises. 

Board of Education Trustees Janet Goller, Marion Blane and Gina Piskin were on hand to celebrate the graduates, along with members of the Central High School District's central administration team. Members of the Cougar TV crew taped and livestreamed the ceremony. Kennedy Voices, led by Rachel Shapiro, performed the Star-Spangled Banner and later returned to perform an adaptation of "The Climb" from Hannah Montana: The Movie. 

Valedictorian Mason Schlesinger reflected on a lesson he learned from one of his calculus teachers and the value of consistency and determination. 

“What she meant by her words was that the key to success is sustained effort in everything you do,” he explained. “It's not about trying your absolute hardest as you need to. Like for a certain grid. It's about feeling passionate about what you're working on, and to keep pushing yourself to reach that next level.” 

Salutatorian Conor McMillan spoke about the challenge of capturing four years of memories, growth and experiences in a single speech. 

“Cliches might not be the best way to express ourselves, but sometimes they're the closest we can get when our whole worlds are changing,” he noted. “To quote one of the most overused cliches of all time, when I say that these four years have flown by, I know every one of us can feel it. When I say that we've all changed so much, every one of us can reflect on how different we were when we first stepped foot here during orientation from where we are now. We can't all put our emotions into our words right now while entering this new, unknown phase of our lives.” 

Student Government President Emily Kesler reflected on the connections, growth and impact created by the Class of 2026 during their time at Kennedy. 

“We became a community. We came into this building young, and maybe uncertain. Over the years, we planted seeds here. Some obvious, and some invisible. Some seeds were watered and celebrated. While others quietly took root in ways we may never fully see. Maybe it was helping a freshman find their place, or maybe it was simply showing up for others day after day. Whatever it was, those moments mattered.”