Greendale High School will send off their 2026 seniors this Saturday at 11 am at Gavninsky stadium. Excitement fills the air as the graduating class prepares to celebrate their achievements and look ahead to new beginnings. The ceremony will begin with all the graduates walking in and the speeches will then start.
This year the class chose English teacher Kate Wagner to be the teacher speaker and she is excited to speak.
“I’m honored that the senior class picked me for the speech this year. We usually leave for vacation graduation weekend, so I’m excited to be home and give the speech,” Wagner said.
Graduation is a very important moment and milestone in people’s lives, so the speakers hope to make an impression. Principal Steve Lodes and superintendent Kim Amidzich will also speak.
“It will be the final time you will all be together as the GHS Class of 2026. It’s sad and joyous at the same time, and one of my favorite times of the year — watching the pride, the emotion, the smiles, and the love of the day,” Lodes said.
This year GHS has four valedictorians, and they will give speeches as well
“I’m very proud of myself for pushing through and maintaining my 4.0. It means a lot to me because I’ve always felt like I needed to prove to myself that I can achieve something big, and achieving this really fulfilled that for me,” senior Martin Golden said. “However, I am not going to stop trying to achieve big things; this only showed me that I can do it.”
Another valedictorian feels relatively the same way.
“It means so much to be recognized for the work I’ve put in over the last four years besides my fellow valedictorians. We all have worked really hard to maintain high grades in hard classes, so finally getting to this point is so refreshing,” senior Noah Thomson said.
The Student Council class officers will also play an essential role in the graduation ceremony.
“I am a senior class secretary so I have to speak to introduce Mr. Lodes. I am not nervous about speaking because I have done public speaking before and I am not speaking a lot,” senior Josie Marshall said.
Students have very bittersweet feelings about graduating.
“Although I’m excited for this next chapter, it’s going to be sad leaving everyone I’ve known all my life and starting all over basically,” senior Ella Padron said.
Other students are beyond excited.
“I’m so excited to graduate and for my new chapter of life to start at college, I’m excited to meet tons of new people and have fun exciting experiences,” senior Thomas Hanlon said.
As we celebrate this milestone, all staff, peers, and teachers wish all graduate success and happiness and the exciting journeys that lie ahead.
