Deer Park HS Class Of 2026 Told To Remember Where Their Story Began

DEER PARK, NY — Deer Park High School’s Class of 2026 celebrated the culmination of years of hard work and the start of new journeys during the school’s 63rd commencement ceremony on June 25.

Family members and friends cheered from the stands at Al Centamore Football Field as members of the Roisin Dubh Pipe Band led the graduates onto the field, marking the start of the evening.

Student Council President Ava Bush opened the ceremony by leading the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by William Fox’s performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Senior class advisers Jill Perry-Eising and Annemarie Lenio then addressed the graduates. Perry-Eising, a Deer Park alumna and resident, focused on the importance of community.

“My parents helped build Deer Park, my generation inherited it and now it’s your generation’s turn to carry it forward,” Perry-Eising said. “Deer Park is the kind of place where generations of families grow up together, and that’s what makes it so special. No matter where life takes you, never forget where your story began, because beginning tonight, you join a community I am proud to be a part of myself — the Deer Park alumni community. The friendships you made here, the lessons you learned and the people who helped shape you will always be a part of who you are.”

Lenio encouraged students to keep moving forward with purpose and resilience.

“As you begin this next chapter, continue to work hard for the goals you set for yourselves,” Lenio said. “Remember that challenges are not roadblocks, but opportunities to grow stronger and become more resilient. Believe in yourselves, and remember communities are built by people who care about others and make a difference in the lives of those around them.”

Serving as both senior class president and salutatorian, Jaidyn Schabe delivered two addresses. She reflected on the school’s diversity and sense of community before using the image of a childhood lunchbox covered in sunflowers to offer a message about resilience.

“Sunflowers display a behavior called heliotropism, meaning they turn towards the sun,” Schabe said. “This phenomenon allows them to be resilient and grow even in the harshest of conditions. We have dealt with a lot over these years — loss, academic pressure, personal issues and much more — and when we started to wither, we turned towards our suns, whether that was our friends, our families, our teachers, a hobby or a sport. The community I have found at this school has been one of my brightest suns and it will continue long past graduation.”

Schabe said sunflowers continue to face east even after the sun sets, knowing it will rise again.

“As long as we have faith and stay consistent, we can continue to thrive,” she said. “In these past four years, I’ve learned not just about the nature of plants but also about the nature of life. I am so proud to have watched every person here today bloom into a young adult ready to take on the world.”

Valedictorian Ubaid Iqbal paid tribute to his late father, Nasir, who died in March, and reflected on the sacrifices that helped shape his journey.

“He was a man who sacrificed everything, crossing an entire ocean with my mother just to give my brothers and me the opportunities in the United States they never had in Pakistan,” Iqbal said. “The man he raised was a fighter, and that is why you see me standing on this stage smiling and happy to honor him.”

Iqbal told his classmates they are each preparing to cross an “ocean” of their own.

“Tomorrow, the routines we took for granted are gone, the safety net of high school disappears and we step into a world that can be unpredictable,” he said. “Life will eventually test you, but I promise you can survive whatever this world has to throw at you. We owe it to the people who built the foundations beneath our feet — the parents who sacrificed for us, the teachers who pushed us and the families who loved us — to step up and become fighters. Class of 2026, as we leave today, don’t take a single tomorrow for granted. Take those risks and build a legacy that will make the people who raised you proud.”

Kathryn Block, valedictorian of the Class of 2016, continued Deer Park’s tradition of alumni speeches and reminded graduates of the foundation they already built.

“We are all a product of Deer Park schools and the town that made us who we are,” Block said. “Everyone will tell you that this next chapter is where you’ll really find yourself, but I’d like to challenge that a little and say that here at Deer Park High School, you’ve already laid the foundation.”

Superintendent of Schools James Cummings reflected on themes from Charlie Mackesy’s “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse,” focusing on the idea of home and belonging.

“Throughout their journey, the boy and his friends are searching for home — a place where they belong,” Cummings said. “Class of 2026, wherever your journey takes you, I hope you always remember that you already have such a place, and it’s here in Deer Park. This community has celebrated your successes, supported you through your challenges and watched you grow into the young adults sitting before us tonight. No matter how far you travel, no matter where your path leads, no matter what adventure awaits, Deer Park will always be your home.”

The evening concluded with the presentation of diplomas as each graduate crossed the stage, shook hands with members of the board of education and officially joined the ranks of Deer Park alumni. Principal Charles Cobb praised the graduates for their resilience, character and achievements.

“These graduates have met challenges with determination, embraced new opportunities and continued to move forward even when the path was not always easy,” Cobb said. “Over the past four years, they have contributed to the spirit and success of our school in countless ways. Their stories reflect resilience, character and achievement. Class of 2026, as you turn your tassels and begin the next chapter of your lives, know that we believe in you. We are proud of the individuals you have become and excited to see the people you will continue to grow into. Your future is unwritten, your opportunities are limitless and your story is just the beginning.”