Celebrating the Class of 2026: Finding Your Voice

Stewarding a place like Proctor is never the task of an individual, but rather the responsibility of everyone in the community. This weekend’s celebration of the Class of 2026 at Proctor’s 178th Commencement exercises was a reminder of how the collective work of everyone who has supported the Class of 2026, past and present, shapes Proctor into the perfectly imperfect school it is today.

Proctor graduations are special in that they carry their own energy; an energy that uniquely reflects the graduating class. For the Class of 2026, that energy centered on a deep gratitude for the educators who commit their lives to Proctor.

Life as a boarding school teacher is largely irrational. We are asked to work long hours, be on call all the time, and willingly live alongside teenagers, all while seeking to raise our own families, cultivate our own passions, and have a life of our own. On the surface, it does not make sense. Who would sign up for this job? And yet once we are immersed in the lifestyle, we begin to understand that the messy interwoven strands of personal and professional components of being a boarding school educator can weave a beautiful life for all connected to the school. 

This year, History faculty member and Class Dean Kyle Connolly served as our Commencement Speaker. Known for his wit and deep belief in Proctor’s educational model, Kyle beautifully articulated his reason for teaching to the Class of 2026 and the more than 1,000 others in attendance. Kyle shared: 

“Here's the heart of it all: It is and always has been about you and your voice. For us as teachers, it is being there to guide you and help you discover your voice, as you learn what matters most to you, and how to hold onto it when all about you might challenge it. It’s beautiful. It’s powerful. We see it in your writing, your art, your music, your acting. We watch it happen in the classroom, the studio, the forge, and the boatshop. We cheer for it on the fields, the courts, the rinks, the rivers, the snow, the trails and the track. You express it in your adolescent angst, your infectious excitement, your profound hurt, your all-encompassing stress, and your deep and genuine love. It’s beautiful. It’s powerful. Your voice is beautiful and powerful in a way you may not be able to understand but we remind you. This is why we teach.” 

It is an absolute privilege to see the voices of our students emerge, but rarely does it happen overnight. It happens in the small moments - the extra help sessions, the conversations on the bus rides home from disappointing losses, or in the dorm common room. It happens when we, as adults, are not around and students learn to stand up for what they believe in, and it happens just as often on the heels of a mistake as it does after a moment of triumph. 

Valedictorian Hailey Pastel ‘26 shared her own journey of transformation during her valedictory address. “With a notebook and pencil in hand, I found myself thinking about the goals I had set for my spring term on Mountain Classroom. I had thought of Mountain as this time where I would evolve into a new person. Without a phone or the usual worries for two months, this task seemed simple. I vividly remember telling my mom before I left that I was so excited to have an epiphany about who I want to be and what I want to do in my life after graduating high school. However, I never had a single moment of clarity that shed light on these questions and that scared me. If I didn’t have this single enlightening moment during Mountain Classroom, would I ever? On the drive back East last week I had plenty of time to reflect on the past two months and came to realize that my journey wasn’t defined by a single moment but rather a collection of micro epiphanies that quietly changed me through trying new things, taking risks, failing, and adapting. Simply, every experience has changed me in ways that weren’t necessarily distinct epiphanies but rather building blocks continuously constructing the person I am and the person I am becoming.”
- Hailey ‘26 

For Senior Speaker Dylan Menard ‘26, his path through Proctor found him learning to appreciate the differences in those around him. No where did he learn more than during his Ocean Classroom and Proctor en Monteverde experiences. He shared: “That’s what’s so great about off-campus programs. I really wish everyone did one. They pluck you from your little bubble and put you with a group of people who you might not know so well. And over the course of a trimester you have the privilege of getting to know so many new people and forming new friendships. Any preconceived idea you might have of someone gets completely destroyed simply because you have the opportunity to talk to these people. I remember thinking, ‘oh that person's gonna be annoying’ or ‘that person isn’t gonna do anything’ and thinking I had it all figured out. I know people have similar thoughts about me. But the best part was that I didn’t really know. It’s a beautiful thing to be proven wrong like that. To become friends with someone you never thought you could get along with. Don’t let other people make opinions for you. Be a detective and find out for yourself.” 

This is what a Proctor education does better than any other school. It forces young people to live outside their comfort zones, to constantly churn social circles, and to move beyond a superficial understanding of each other’s quirks. As educators, we absolutely love being a part of this beautiful, messy, non-linear transformation where our students begin to find themselves and their voice. And as Kyle implored the Class of 2026, finding your voice and using your voice are critical in this challenged world. 

“You’re going to leave here and you might not always be asked to share your voice where you go. And you might look around at others and feel like your voice does not speak as loudly or with as much authority. And you might encounter people who will devalue and diminish your voice. And you might measure yourself against others and think your voice does not deserve to be heard. I’m not a politician, sports hero, CEO, or celebrity but I am a teacher and think I have something important to say. Believe in the beauty and power of your own voice.”

- Kyle Connolly, Commencement Speaker 

Thank you to everyone, especially the Class of 2026 and their families, for an amazing Commencement weekend! 

View All Commencement 2026 Content Here!