With Fondness, Frolic, And Fun, Concord High School’s Class Of 2026 Faces The Future

CONCORD, NH — Under a blue sky and mid-June blazing sun, Concord High School’s Class of 2026 students celebrated their accomplishments and prepared for the future.

Due to the bleachers at Memorial Field being condemned, the pomp and circumstance moved to NHTI, Concord’s community college, right outside the Crocker Wellness Center Saturday morning.

Drayden Nyambo and Thomas Weaver acted as emcees. They started the event by requesting William Bellerose, who will be attending West Point, to introduce all the students who will be joining the military and acknowledge veterans and service members in the audience.

After the chamber singers sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Kris Gallo, the district’s new assistant superintendent, made opening remarks. She served as principal of Concord High School this year following School Superintendent Kathleen Murphy’s death, after many years as principal at Christa McAuliffe Elementary School. She noted the class was the first ever to graduate at NHTI. Gallo also said while the transition was “an unplanned event,” she was able to reintroduce herself to her former kindergarten and elementary school students. Many of the graduating class, she said, would take away lessons from those early days, including learning to share everything, play fair, say you’re sorry when you hurt someone, stick together, and every day, learn to think and play. The most important lessons were not about academics, but how to treat people, face challenges, and continue to grow, she said.

“You learned who you are, what matters to you, and who you want to become,” Gallo said.

Student Speeches

After the chorale ensemble performed “Hail, Hail to Concord,” Madeline Short, the salutatorian, started her speech, but then pivoted and decided to get a bit funky, with Gallo, Nyambo, and Weaver joining in.

She thanked the school staff, parents and families, and fellow graduates for making her high school experience so special. Short spoke of her spring trip to Italy, learning more about the Renaissance, and visiting churches, likening the experience to high school and her fellow students — “thousands of small stones and ceramic tiles together to create some of the most stunning and emotional images I’d ever seen.” She added the high school experience left them “with one big, beautiful piece of art.”

Maggie Hall, another student, gave the year’s memory chair speech, offering thoughts about losing her father and grandmother, who was diagnosed with a rare blood disease a dozen years ago and died during her junior year.

“Though some of the most important people in our lives cannot be here today,” she said, “their legacies and lessons live on with every beat of our very own hearts.”

Murphy’s Absence, Influence

Clara McHugh offered a moment of dedication for Murphy, who passed away in August 2025, but spent her last moments preparing the district for her departure.

McHugh said, in middle school, she struggled with reading during remote learning. But after heading back to the classroom, she found it frustrating and embarrassing, and she dreaded school most days. Murphy requested McHugh and her mother meet at the district office and seemed genuinely interested in her activities and future. When she explained how much she disliked school, Murphy appreciated her honesty and willingness to share her opinion. After sharing thoughts together, Murphy set up work for McHugh to tackle in the eighth grade to improve her reading, and she set out to complete the tasks and prove she could accomplish them.

“Superintendent Murphy went above and beyond when she did not have to,” she said. “Long after she gave me the reading help I needed, I never forgot her or that afternoon. I never forgot how she listened to me and how she made me feel. And that says everything about who she was.”

Pratiktshya Rijal, another senior, won the competitive speaker slot and shared her life experience moving to New Hampshire, Missouri, and then back to New Hampshire, after leaving Nepal to come to America.

Because people could not pronounce her name, she adopted the nickname “Patty.” But later, her time in Concord led to a journey of self-discovery, the discovery of her true self, and the realization her struggles did not break her.

“As I look at you all today,” Rijal said, “I realized that my journey wasn’t about fitting in. It was about finding the strength to stand out.”

Class President Aryn Bernardo, who held the role for four years, spoke about her time at school, her involvement in activities and sports, and her thanks to educators.

She also talked about a summer trip to Morocco on a scholarship. It was an eye-opening experience, and many people she encountered were not only surprised she knew Arabic but also Darija, the local dialect.

“For years, I measured my worth through numbers, awards, and accomplishments,” Bernardo said, “But being (in Morocco), thousands of miles from home, (I was reminded) my value was never dependent on any of those things. My value came from simply being who I am.”

‘We Are The Wall’

Diplomas were presented to the students, with the normal hoopla and fanfare from families.

There was, however, one outburst by former Crimson Tide wrestler Jeremy Richard Jr., who refused to shake hands with Gallo and School Superintendent Tim Herbert while receiving his diploma. After grabbing it, he yelled, “You are president! We are the wall!” giving his best impersonation of John Bender, Judd Nelson’s character in “The Breakfast Club,” to cheers and giggling from some attendees.

Superintendent Speaks

Herbert congratulated students, sharing one final lesson with them: “You have what it takes to continue to do great things.”

He said there was no one single way to get to graduation. It was different for everyone. And now, the real adventure begins, with students entering the workforce, military, and higher education, around the country and the world. His parting words? “I ask you to pursue happiness. As simple as it sounds, happiness is not the same as success, and it is not easily achieved.” Herbert said the future was not defined by where you have been or what you have done in the past, but by whether you have the courage to face what comes next.

Valedictorian Holly Keenan closed the event by also thanking family, friends, and teachers, including music and theatre teachers who encouraged her to dream.

During discussions about the future — she intends to pursue musical theatre, people have been asked what her backup plan would be or why she would choose something set up to fail. Keenan asked herself the same question after exploring other potential careers, but instead decided to follow her dreams.

“…Despite all of the factors against me,” she said, (I chose to pursue theatre) because I love it and it’s my dream… my dream doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else but me.

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