Gilford High graduates leave commencement with blank slate, ready to take charge of future

GILFORD — The BankNH Pavilion has had countless rockstars grace its stage over the years. On Sunday, a group of rock stars donned hats and tassels, as 109 Gilford High School graduates received their diplomas.

Friends and family packed the pavilion, shielding them from the hot sun on the warm morning, and the sound of “Pomp and Circumstance” filled the air.

Principal Anthony Sperazzo spoke about how proud he was to share the stage with the outgoing 12th graders on such a beautiful morning, which they will likely remember the rest of their lives.

Sperazzo said the older you get, the more you understand what really matters.

“Exercise is therapy,” Sperazzo said. “Nature is medicine. Peace is priceless. Health is wealth. Happiness is homemade. As you finish writing one of your chapters to this story, you do not need to wait until you get older to realize what really matters.”

Sperazzo said they are entering a world that measures success with title, money, followers, and achievements. While these things matter, he said there is much more.

“Congratulations to the class of 2026,” Sperazzo said. “Your future is not just about making a living. It’s about building a new life worth living.”

Class President Ava Wilson followed with a moving speech, where she emotionally recalled how much the class has accomplished together. Senior Sunrise at the beach, Winter Carnival, the senior trip, bonfires, and ultimately graduation have highlighted a busy and rewarding year.

“Each of these events gave us something to celebrate, something to look back on, and another reason to be proud of the class we’ve become,” Wilson said. “Looking back, it is hard to see how quickly it all went by.”

Each graduate received a flower before the commencement ceremony to place into a basket at the podium, in honor of their friend and classmate Sydnie Quimby, who died in a skiing accident in January 2023. Quimby was in ninth grade at the time, and would have graduated this year.

“She brought joy to the people around her, simply by being herself,” Wilson said.

Wilson said the flowers represent all people who have been lost along the way, including loved ones, friends, family members, teachers, and a classmate who should have been with them on graduation day. She called for a moment of silence.

Wilson said she didn’t think anyone realized just how quickly high school life becomes memories, and that is what makes graduation day so special. What were once ordinary times turned out to be the last times, before they even realized it. Whether it was wearing a jersey for the last game, taking the last class of a course, the last club meeting after school, or the last time walking by someone in the hallway, these times are now more meaningful.

“I think that matters, especially now, because after today, everyone’s paths start looking different,” Wilson said.

Some people will reach goals faster than others, and others will change their paths completely, but success isn’t about keeping up with everyone else. Happiness, she said, is not to be compared.

“Keep looking for what excites you,” Wilson said. “Keep chasing the things that make you feel fulfilled, and never settle for a life that doesn’t feel true to who you are.”

Salutatorian Jade Nicholas focused her speech around the popular game Wordle, saying the first five-letter word she always uses is “slate.” She made sure not to spoil that day’s Wordle, and instead talked about a game she played several days ago, when she admitted she should have been working on her speech.

She said the word “slate” has a deeper meaning than being just a smart choice with key letters. Nicholas remembers starting high school four years ago, when everyone started with a clean slate. Friend groups shifted, and they found their niche through joining clubs and athletic teams.

“Here’s the best part: As we exit this stage, we’re about the wipe our slate clean,” Nicholas said. “This is a rare opportunity to go out and make our life our own.”

She said to embrace this chance, and if you fail, you can always start again. Her next guess was “adapt,” with which they all have become familiar. Four years later, many of them abandoned ninth-grade dreams, and have new dreams for their future, whether college, the workforce or military.

“Change is inevitable, so our willingness to adapt and embrace change will allow us to find success,” Nicholas said.

Her third word was “value,” and she quoted Elvis Prelsey, who said, “Value is like fingerprints. Nobody’s are the same, but you leave them all over everything you do.”

Her fourth, and winning, guess was the word “heart.” Nicholas said this word has brought the class together multiple times, and led to success. She said there couldn’t be a more appropriate word for the occasion, and heart is one of the greatest strengths a person can have.

“More than knowledge or achievement, this answer has truly defined our journey,” Nicholas said.

The Gilford High School band gave a rendition of “I'm Shipping Up to Boston” by Dropkick Murphys, and suddenly the crowd was in a music venue again. Chorus members, as well as Maria Tilley leading the charge with a mandolin solo, played the class song, “Don’t Stop” by Fleetwood Mac.

After class gifts were distributed, valedictorian Gunnar Marvel took the podium following a massive round of applause, complete with hooting and hollering. The top student of the class of 2026 said he can’t believe after four long years they are finally there, and joked it was something he would have said if he wanted his speech to sound like any other.

When he was writing the speech, he knew he wanted it to be impactful, but he didn’t know exactly what to say. He said when thinking about it, he is no different than any student sitting behind him.

“I’m just a guy who got really good grades in high school,” he said. “I dedicated a lot to studying and schoolwork, but I wasn’t always like this.”

Marvel recalls his time in elementary school in Concord, saying he didn’t do well, had to attend summer school, and felt like he was already left behind. When he moved to Gilmanton, he started caring about school, which was a dramatic personality change. He said maybe it was the change of setting, and he didn’t want to be the kid failing.

“My reading was definitely below average, and my grammar skills were poor,” Marvel said. “I remember, in fourth grade, being put into reading groups, and copying off another kid, because I had no clue what was going on with reading.”

When a teacher caught on, he cried. Not because he was caught, but because he cared. He started putting in real effort, working on weak points, and sometimes sacrificed having fun. At the time, he said that felt like a crime, but it paid off.

“I set a goal freshman year to do the very best I could,” Marvel said. “The values that led me here were dedication and determination. Not because I was super smart. I want you all to remember the power of these two things: dedication and determination.”

He said dedication is about putting in the time long before getting results, and showing up for something or someone. Determination is about testing commitment, perhaps finishing a race even if you dropped the baton.

“Go all in,” Marvel said. “Whatever you care about: family, humanitarian work, sports, politics, math, competitive eating, or interpretive dance. Like Pitbull would say: 'Give me everything.' We all have our own vision of dedication and determination. The question is whether we choose to use them.”

Maurice Reese, a special educator and assistant football coach at Gilford High, was the keynote speaker, and had everyone on the verge of tears. Reese said he was truly honored to have the opportunity to talk, saying he was fortunate to be at the school and get to know many students.

Reese said this marked both a beginning and an ending, as it was the start of something new and exciting, but also possibly the last time they will gather together. Some will be lifelong friends, and some will be cherished memories.

“That’s just a part of life,” Reese said.

Reese said he does not have a perfect roadmap in his life, and if he did, he’d be in Aruba, on a beach writing a book, enjoying a permanent vacation. But that’s not how it goes. He graduated from a city high school in Ohio, went to college, joined the U.S. Air Force, and got into the food industry long before he entered the world of education. There will be unexpected turns and roadblocks, and he's had his share.

A major bump occurred a month before his 26th birthday, when he received a phone call that his then-wife and mother of three children had died in a car accident. Suddenly, he was a widower raising three young boys.

“No matter how organized you are, no matter how detailed your goals may be, life eventually surprises you,” Reese said. “You will experience pain. You will experience disappointment. You will experience failure. But you will also heal. You will grow. You will succeed. You will find joy in you.”

While Reese acknowledged that years from now, students won’t even remember he spoke, he hopes they can take these “grains of salt” to help along the way. Reese was once at the elementary school, and has watched the class develop and grow.

He said every mistake teaches you something, and every setback gives you information. Failure is a lesson and not a life sentence, and not the opposite of success, but rather being a part of the process. He advised not letting fear get in the way of growth, not letting insecurities determine the future, and recommended setting aside times of silence to organize thoughts.

“Class of 2026, your journey is just beginning.”