The Lynbrook High School Class of 2026 proudly joined a more than 100-year history of alumni as they officially became graduates on June 26.

Green and gold gowns shined on the Marion Street School field as the graduates processed toward their seats to the sounds of cheers from their loved ones. The LHS band played the national anthem before salutatorian Aidan Michaels addressed his peers.

“From now on, our lives are up to us,” Michaels said, “and that means our dreams are in our hands. It’s up to us to protect those dreams.”

In his valedictory address, Jack Murray reflected on conquering uncertainty through high school and beyond. It was 1,389 days ago when him and his peers started their Lynbrook High School journeys, he noted, and 4,673 days since they started kindergarten.

“That is the beauty of choosing your own adventure,” Murray said. “The beautiful part about the myriad of options and variants that make up high school is that each and every one of our paths was unique — and valuable for the uniqueness, not in spite of it.”

Principal Matthew Sarosy listed the many accomplishments made by the Class of 2026 across extracurricular activities, athletics and all fields of study. Mr. Sarosy recalled when seniors took their very first steps — a time that parents in the audience “can picture like it was yesterday.”

“While you have taken innumerable steps since then,” Mr. Sarosy said, “tonight, we are here to witness another important first step. This time, away from your childhood and into the future.”

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Lynch recited a poem from Edward Field, a Lynbrook High School Class of 1941 graduate, that gives insight into the Lynbrook Village decades ago — “a gathering of families at the crossways.”

“Can we put the future on hold for just a moment and simply look around and hold this moment — ‘a gathering of families at the crossways,’” Dr. Lynch said. “True, graduation is about you, but it’s also about your families, because they have done the journey with you.”

Each graduate was recognized as they ecstatically rose to accept their diploma from trustees and administrators. Once tassels were turned, green caps soared into the air, marking a triumphant conclusion to the Class of 2026’s time at Lynbrook High School.

Photos courtesy Lynbrook Public Schools