![Commencement 2026 procession]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1780434129/emmawillardorg/lq7otoyeuu2gbwm9j5no/EWS_3105_fnl.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1780434129/emmawillardorg/lq7otoyeuu2gbwm9j5no/EWS_3105_fnl.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1780434129/emmawillardorg/lq7otoyeuu2gbwm9j5no/EWS_3105_fnl.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1780434129/emmawillardorg/lq7otoyeuu2gbwm9j5no/EWS_3105_fnl.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1780434129/emmawillardorg/lq7otoyeuu2gbwm9j5no/EWS_3105_fnl.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1780434129/emmawillardorg/lq7otoyeuu2gbwm9j5no/EWS_3105_fnl.jpg","width":1620}])
Emma Willard School celebrated the final events of the school year with trademark jester joy. Musical selections, speakers, and citations shared throughout the weekend showcased the unique bond shared among this remarkable class.
Being present and centered on this step of life’s journey was a common theme throughout the closing days of the Emma experience for the Class of 2026.
Baccalaureate
Gathering with their families and advisors in Klingenstein Concert Hall for Baccalaureate, the Class of 2026 reflected on their departure from Mount Ida. Junior Class President Sophia A. ’27 and parent Christine Mastrianni P’26 joined Ava Varghese ’26 and Margaret Wing Dodge Instructor in Literature and Director of the Starzinger Writing Center Meg McClellan in offering their encouraging words.
Sophia described the Class of 2026 as one that does more than think; they act, bringing something vibrant and enthusiastic into every room they walk into. Ms. Mastrianni described the incredible human beings this class has become: thoughtful, capable, and ready for what comes next in ways that can’t be seen on a transcript.
Ava encouraged her classmates to live in the moment, giving themselves “permission to love the process more than the end result…engaged in self-improvement and continued enrichment,” knowing the best is yet to come!
“To have been present while you have become your fully formed, fabulous selves, to have played a small part in that evolution, is an honor like no other. There is no better job than the one I have had and have loved so much,” Ms. McClellan shared, as she herself leaves Mount Ida (in retirement) as the Class of 2026 graduates.
Senior Parents Fund co-chairs Dr. Sandra Shin and Dr. John Nabagiez P’23 ’26 shared that 62% of the graduating families contributed to the Senior Parent Fund, and thanked all families for showing their support for the transformative experience that their students find on Mount Ida.
“Years from now, future students, teachers, and visitors will look at the brick bearing your child’s name. They will imagine who they were and the impact they made at this special place. It is a comforting thought, especially as they prepare to leave a campus that has meant so much to them.” —Dr. John Nabagiez P’23 ’26
Commencement
The finale of the weekend’s activities was the 212th Commencement ceremony, where families, friends, and faculty gathered to support and cheer the exceptional Class of 2026. On the stage with Head of School Dr. Karen Lassey were Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees Wendy Graham ’85, Alumnae Association Council President (AAC) Margaret ‘Maggie’ Bownes Johnson ’83, our distinguished alumna speaker Busy Burr ’79, and Dean of Academics Dr. Esther Dettmar.
Amid many moments of laughter, Ms. Burr shared words of wisdom with the Class of 2026, likening life’s journey to the whirling of a trapeze artist waiting to be caught in mid-air. After centering the students in a moment of quiet to get a sense of “the you that is you,” Ms. Burr addressed the “fear, fun, and faceplants” that would surely come next. After sharing her own life story, Ms. Burr said, “You have no idea where the setbacks will lead. No Idea. Setbacks open up your aperture and let you see what else is out there. Let go, don’t cling, go ahead and let yourself flip and spin.”
“Here’s what I have learned about the spinning, flipping, liminal space: the in-between, the floating time—it’s not dead space where you are just waiting for something to happen. The floating time is where everything actually happens. It’s where you find out what you’re made of. It’s where the story actually lives. In a trapeze act, the crowd doesn’t hold its breath when the performer is just swinging back and forth—they hold their breath during the spin. That’s the act. That’s the wow. The in-between is the whole show. ” —Busy Burr ’79
Following the Commencement address, Board of Trustees Vice Chair Wendy Graham ’85 presented the Jameson Adkins Baxter Award to Eloise Neidl ’26, who has shown herself to be a strong, quiet, compassionate leader—friendly, authentic, playful, confident, and finding joy in every moment of her journey. Maggie Bownes Johnson ’83, president of the AAC, then presented the Clementine Miller Tangeman Award to Stacy Chen ’26, highlighting her maturity and humility as a leader, stage presence filled with grace, and being “everywhere simultaneously, always with a smile on her face.”
 Eloise Neidl ’26, winner of the Jameson Adkins Baxter Award |
 Stacy Chen ’26, winner of the Clementine Miller Tangeman Award |
Marin Mastrianni ’26, the students’ choice for their Commencement speaker, then took the stage to address her classmates, bringing the exuberance and infectious energy that is her trademark. She shared wisdom from her personal mission of “beginning with the end in mind,” encouraging her classmates to not miss the present in the process.
“Instead of always beginning with the end in mind, maybe we can be where our feet are. Maybe we can begin with the ‘right now’ in our minds instead of the future. As our lives begin to change, I hope we don’t hurry through the new present. I hope we notice it, I hope we hold onto it, and I hope we let it change us.” —Marin Mastrianni ’26
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Ms. Graham conferred 89 diplomas to be presented to the graduates of the Class of 2026. Dr. Lassey shared reflections for each graduate as they received their diplomas. In keeping with Emma Willard tradition, faculty and alumnae family members of many graduates—among them siblings, parents, and cousins—presented the diploma to their senior.
The Class of 2026 sang their first alma mater as alumnae and then processed around the Senior Triangle to bid farewell to their beloved faculty.
As Dr. Dettmar said in her closing remarks, “The friendships you forged here at Emma are bonds that cannot be broken by time or distance, and you can forever call Mount Ida home!” Congratulations, graduates of 2026! We will miss your exuberance and welcome you back anytime your journey leads you whirling back toward Troy.
—
View recordings here: Baccalaureate | Commencement
View more photos on SmugMug: Baccalaureate | Commencement (NOTE: professional photography will be added to the albums soon).
Find more interesting stories about Emma Willard School on our Newsroom page.