Bouquets of flowers, cars stuffed with golden balloons, and several paper head cutouts signaled a special moment for many young Belmont residents Saturday.
On June 6, Harris Field was awash in maroon as the 369 members of the Belmont High School class of 2026 graduated. Graduates, many of whom wore National Honors Society cords and personalized mortarboards, strolled across the stage to accept their diplomas. Cheers from family, friends and community members rang out across the field and bleachers packed with family and friends.
Reflection and New Directions
Weston Zalewski said growing up in Belmont shaped who he is today.
“Belmont is just a really great place to grow up. [I] met all my best friends here, [and had the] best experiences of my life here. This place gave me a really good foundation to just take the world head on,” he said. Zalewski will attend UMass Amherst.
At graduation, Belmont High’s newest alumni reflected on their time at school and the end of this chapter of their lives.
Rohan Bhagwati described the mood leading up to graduation as “definitely bittersweet.” Bhagwati plans to attend McGill University in Montreal.
An Everchanging Future
Principal Isaac Taylor’s opening remarks highlighted the challenges of recent times, pointing out environmental crises, the rise of artificial intelligence and general societal apathy. Still, he believes the students are prepared to face these challenges.
Taylor told the sea of students they are equipped with the skills to be “engaged citizens, empathetic people, creative and imaginative thinkers, everything you need to effect change.”
“You have done so much already,” he said. “I am proud of you all, and I am so hopeful as I watch you go out into a world that so badly needs more love, hope and empathy.”
Seize the Opportunities
The ceremony featured three student speeches touching on courage in the face of fear, finding community in the small things, and turning dreams into reality.
The Belmont High School band serenades graduates Saturday morning. (Mina Rose Morales/Belmont Voice) 
Members of the Class of 2026 line up before the ceremony, led by class president Ignacio Matorras. (Mina Rose Morales/Belmont Voice) 
Bingo the Belmont Police dog had a role to play at graduation Saturday. (Mina Rose Morales/Belmont Voice) 
Fiona Rodriguez-Clark addresses her fellow graduates. (Mina Rose Morales/Belmont Voice) 
Lea Creamer shows off her diploma after graduation. (Mina Rose Morales/Belmont Voice) 
Bintou Hadja Diakhate was amont the throngs of Belmont High School graduates. (Mina Rose Morales/Belmont Voice) 
Charlotte, Noelle and Audrey offer their support to a graduate. (Mina Rose Morales/Belmont Voice) 
The opening procession, including Superintendent Jill Geiser and Assistant Superintendent Lucia Sullivan. (Minha Rose Morales/Belmont Voice) 
Reeno Raga, Belmont High School Class of 2026. (Mina Rose Morales/Belmont Voice)
In his speech, class president Ignacio Matorras urged his peers to leave their comfort zones and chase opportunities.
“I’m not saying you need to be the loudest person in the room…but I do believe that finding yourself is only possible when you’re willing to take risks,” he said. Matorras will attend University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Michelle Chow and Fiona Rodriguez-Clark were honored with the School Committee Award for Outstanding Achievement in Scholarship, presented by Superintendent Jill Geiser. Both students earned perfect GPAs and were involved in their communities both in and out of the classroom.
Chow, who plans to attend Cornell University, will remember high school as the culmination of small moments, like when a classroom of strangers becomes friends. Through these moments, she says their class has “managed to stitch together a beautiful quilt.”
In her speech, Rodriguez-Clark, who will attend University of Pennsylvania, instructed her peers to look under their chairs where they found a piece of paper that read “you will become” followed by various professions and positions. These included a NASA astronaut, a population ecologist and even an empress of Japan. She revealed that all of these titles represent past BHS graduates.
“Like all of us graduating today, these people started with only an idea of what they wanted their futures to look like. But as soon as they walked across this stage, it was time to start making those futures a reality,” she said.
Rodriguez-Clark rounded out the ceremony’s speeches urging her peers to embrace their independence and dream beyond what they believe to be possible.
“This future is yours and this future is now,” she said.
