The weather was damp and dreary but it scarcely impacted the graduation celebration on the Meridian HIgh School field. With hundreds in attendance and dozens of umbrellas in the stands, the ceremony kicked off with music from the MHS Band and the national anthem from the Chamber Ensemble.
It was the first graduation for Superintendent Dr. Terry Dade who spoke about resilience and persistence. Student Valedictory Scholar Alba Selle focused on the people who inspired her and her fellow graduates, while Eli Kulok, the second Valedictory Scholar speaker brought lots of laughs as he built toward a call to “take control of your lives.”
The class gift was announced by class treasurer, Claire Dassira — a full renovation and upgrade of the memorial brick courtyard in front of the school. Ellia Shin introduced the Commencement Speaker, Vice Principal Rob Carey, who had traveled with this class since their third grade year. He challenged the graduates to embrace discomfort, seek unfamiliar experiences, and resist the pull of a small life. He encouraged the seniors to engage in and challenge the world.
Class of 2026 achievements by the numbers: 68 IB diploma candidates, 22 IB Career-Related Program candidates, 115 Meridian Scholars, 97 Valedictory Scholars with 4.0+ GPAs, 5 National Merit Scholarship finalists.
The Meridian Class of 2026:
Alegria Kate Aguirre, William James Albaugh, Kaylen Sophia Alvarado Barraza, Maya Louise Anderson, Muriel Vera Anderson, William Edward Anderson, Dathne Arianne Arteaga Molina, Corey Jamison Artz, Hannah Thanh-Truc Au, John David Ayala Rosales, Calen Rowley Baker, Eliza Peregrine Barnes, Alexander Daisuke Barwig, Camille Chance Beaudry, Darren Brooks Beck, Ben Balan Behr, Emily Jane Beloe, Tiffany Lynne Berol, Katherine Skinner Bickel, Angelica Anna Bieglecka, Serena Alice Binkowski, Lola Estelle Blanchard, Hannah Marie Boesen, Laurent James Maxwell Bono, Sofia Alexandra Braverman, Macy Wilma Brock, Simon Thomas Brown, Dylan MacKenzie Bryan,
Catherine EunHae Buchholz, Kevin Santiago Burgos-Prada, Nicolas Rocco Candia, Greyson James Carney, Lucia Louise Jacobs Carpenter, Bailey H. Cash, Sebastian Castillo Perez, Elisabeth Ha-Eun Chang, Linnéa Mae Chapman, Jasmine Cidon, Grant Harrison Cloutier, Andrew Steven Conner, Camila Contreras, Kevin Darlex Cuadros Soria, Jebril Muhsen Dabbourah, Claire Evelyn Dassira, Gundega Dävidsone, William Foster Davis, Duke Campbell Dawson, Dante Francis De Sio, Ryan Frederick Degnan, John Michael Dhunjishah, Tessa Victoria Dunn, Monica Duran Cruz, Anna Sophia Eppler, Osteen Joshua Espina Campos, Mayte Alison Estrada Coaquera, Rihanna Kristin Hermosura Fajutrao,
Hannah Rose Fazio, Ezra Meyer Fine, Nathaniel Edwin Fine, William James FitzGerald
Emma Margaret Flanagan, Connor Strum Fleming, Wyatt James Fonshill, Anisa Karin Frey, Samantha Gimja Gabel, Aslan Leo Gadd, Zoe Linda Gale, Sennen Girish Gaur, Benazir Ghaznavi, Sylvia Dawn Gibb, Fiona Grace Gillaspy, Javier Santiago Giraldo Cadena, Theodor Ferdinand Goesch, Anna Butler Goldenberg, Paul William Goodwin, Sonny Wyatt Gore-Guynn, Ainsley Annmarie Doll Gorman, Saoirse Jane Gormley, McKenna O' Gara Gould, Anna Xu Gray, Karol Michael Francis Grondelski, Rachel Ann Grooms, Addison Tae-Hyun Gross, Likith Guntu, Yanek Jun Guziewski, Gemma Guzman Saravia, Seth Bolling Hahn, Christian Cas Hammond, Oliver Lau Hardi, Christopher Carlo Vitus Hardman, Aiden Harper, Ayana Hashim, Binyamin Hassan, Finn Robert Hauber, Sophie Rose Hazan, William Eldred Hefferan, Adi Rose Henderson, Jasmine Camila Herbas, Henry Todd Hermann, Tabitha Grace Hermann,
Xena Cristiana Francesca Herrera, Liam James Hickernel, Dominique Alessandra Hobson, Demetrius Natahaniel Holmes, Alejandra Isabella Holzer, Kairav Suresh Hora, Tyler Scott Huang, Matthew Drake Sungmin Hurst, Misbah Hussain, Avery Richard Hyra, Emiglio Salvatore Icabalceta, Lorien Linnea Jackson, Graham William Jacob
Aaron Kaito Jacobson, Alexander Lanier Jacobson, Adam Jallal, Shalini Johnson, Gavin William Jones, Atticus Jinsoo Kim, Isabel Elise Klein, Ash Lauren Kosmider, Lauren Christine Kraus, John Stevens Kreul, Alexander Daniel Kroboth, Nikolaus Kiel Kruse Lawson, Sofia Maria Kruszynski, Eli Nathaniel Kulok, Xavier Tzu Chieh Kuo, Ririko Kurosaka, Hayden Cecilius Kusic
Madeleine Alessia Lambrecht, Marshall David Lambrecht, Cubbon Langford, Evelyn Ashby Lanier, Leydis Abigail Lazo Castro, Corinne Maya Levitt, Lauren Reilly Lewin, Soren Scott Liebreich, Lynn Han Lieu, Henry Lopez-Flores, Jerome Kibango Lwanga, Rex Hayes MacAlester,
Alec Faisel Mahini, Leah Sloane Malheiro, Emily Rachael Marrow, Jose Rogeli,
Martinez Cruz, Ryan Joseph McDonald, Louise Elizabeth Meade, Paul Richard Meade
Sara Jane Meade, Brayden Patrick Mellon, Isaac Marcial Mijango, Charles Anthony Miller
Maximos Marwan Mina, Connor Bryan Mock, Solomon Ruzany Modell, Dianelis Montano Mejia, John Elting Moore, Matthew David Morfino, Christopher Michael Morris, Jack Alexander Mossburg, Cailyn Regina Murphy, Marques Eli Myles, Pia Isabel Nath, Mai Thu Nguyen, Andrew James Niemi, Mary Grace Nowlin, Victoria Olaru, Diana Camila Paredes Rios
Candela Pelegrina-Lopez, Jesper Kennedy Pender, Grace Jordan Piccariello, Olivia Anderson Pierre, Kira Bethany Pike, Eliana Marie Pizzirusso, Mason Cornell Porter, Jacob Matthew Quintana, Gabriel Andy Quispe Reyes, Zane David Qumseya, Sachin Surya Rabindranath
Ashok Pyati Radcliff, Ricardo Angel Ramirez-Leon, Kyler Kendrick Rasmussen, Crysta Lorraine Rice, William Matthew Ries, Albert Steven Rivas-Rivas,
Cecilia Clare Ross, Cruz Alan Ruoff, Valeria Johseline Sabillon, Mia Lily Sabo
Maximillian Marc Sadler, Elena Aryana Sakata, Sabrina Maria Sakata, Sofia Alexandra Sandoval, Mia Schatz, Emily Sophia Schiller, Tiberius Andrew Schmittel, Alba Gabriella Selle
Ellia Grace-Yongae Shin, Dinos Alexandros Ioannidis, Simcox, Isaiah Cary Sims, Charles Michael Singh, Mykl Trinity Skelton, Amin Jhumra Smith, Jahan Kumar Smith, Konstantin Edward Smith, Rhylee Sophia Smith, Marisa Peelle Sotelino, Ryan Nguyen Southern
Cassandra Anne Sripinyo, Paul Alexander Stankevich, Jillian Byers Sterner, Noah Samuel Stevens, Anna Hansen Stoner, Emma Talka, Alexander David Tambo, David Alexander Thode
Josephine Margaret Thomas, William Hou Thomas, Frank Alpha-Oumar-Bah
Thompson, Pratyush Tiwari, Katherine Grace Trombo, Sofia Elizabeth Turley,
John Philip Tysse, Edwin Jancarlo Valle-Cabrera,
Jack Thomas Villano, Anjali Lara Virmani, Max Brewster von Schriltz
Ana Vuckovic, Brody Everett Wagner, Sofia Marie Ward, Jackson Beatty Watt, Claire Elizabeth Weatherly, Sam Clay Whittle, Colin Deane Williams, Teague Myles Wilson, Simon Alexander Wing, Sylvia Loren Witt, Annika Rehs Wolf, George Herbert Wotka, Adeline Gisele Ziegler.