LAKEVILLE – The 38 members of the Class of 2026 marked the end of their time at Salisbury Central School with an outdoor graduation ceremony at the school Thursday, June 18. While rain briefly threatened the event midway through, the shower quickly passed and the ceremony continued.
Following a land acknowledgment recognizing Indigenous peoples as the original stewards of the land and the Pledge of Allegiance, three students delivered remarks reflecting on the lessons they learned at SCS and the support they found there.
Eighth grader Brook Kain said that fitting in and belonging are not the same.
“Salisbury Central doesn’t ask you to change who you are,” she said. “I thought I would never find real friends, but I realized it was because I was hiding who I really was. Here, my differences were accepted.”
Evelyn Hall spoke about being persuaded to audition for the seventh grade play, something she initially thought was a mistake.
“As we progressed I slowly began to enjoy the process,” she said, noting that it became one of her favorite experiences at SCS.
“If we assume the outcome, we close off what is possible,” she said.
Sarina Lemmy said during her time at Salisbury Central taught her that “challenges are not obstacles, but stepping stones.”
SCS alumna and parent Darcy Boynton, who has directed the school musical for the last five years, served as the keynote speaker.
She told the graduates, “The pace of life is about to pick up. Your life, for the next decade and beyond, will be so exciting and full of growth. But there may be moments when what lies before you begins to look like a long line of goals, stretching to the horizon, so many checkboxes to mark off.”
Boynton said that goals and achievements keep people motivated and on track, but urged students to appreciate the process.
“I firmly believe that the people who are the most successful, in any endeavor, are process-oriented. We want to win our games, yes. Of course we do. We want to get the good grades, the prizes, the praise. There’s nothing wrong with that. But those moments are ephemeral, fleeting. The process is where we spend most of our time, where we grow.”
Patrick L. Sullivan
Alumna Darcy Boynton delivers special remarks during the Salisbury Central School graduation June 18.
