Gould Academy Announces Valedictorian and Salutatorian for 190th Commencement

Gould Academy is proud to announce that Ella Wilder (right) of Brunswick, Maine, has been named Valedictorian, and Brynn Newsom (left) of Belmont, Maine, has been named Salutatorian for the School’s 190th Commencement. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 30, 2026, on Gould’s upper field, overlooking the Mahoosuc Mountain range.

Both Ella and Brynn are four-year seniors who have been roommates in Gehring Hall since their ninth-grade year, a testament to the strong bonds built during their Gould experiences.

Ella’s senior year included earning her Ski Patrol Jacket at Sunday River and the completion of an ambitious Senior Four Point project: a 30-day National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) expedition, hiking more than 100 miles in Wyoming’s Wind River Range. She began planning the trip after returning from her Junior Four Point winter camping experience, eager to spend more time in the backcountry. Ella will attend Colorado College in Colorado Springs in the fall.

“It’s an honor to be representing my class as Valedictorian,” said Wilder. “I’m looking forward to celebrating our collective hard work over the past four years and all of our new beginnings. I’m very grateful for all the opportunities that Gould has given me to succeed.”

I’m looking forward to celebrating our collective hard work over the past four years and all of our new beginnings. I’m very grateful for all the opportunities that Gould has given me to succeed. Ella Wilder, Gould Valedictorian of the Class of 2026

Newsom has been a consistent presence on Gould’s Nordic team for four years and was recently recognized with the program’s Coaches Award. For her Senior Four Point project, she worked under the mentorship of Dr. Angus Beal, shadowing in the emergency room at MaineHealth Waldo Hospital in Belfast, Maine. She plans to study nursing at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts, this fall.

“Ella and Brynn not only represent the apex of academic excellence that we encourage all Gould Academy students to strive for,” said Dean of Academics Ben Kamilewicz ’95, “but they approach their learning in an authentic and genuine way. Always curious and constantly seeking to make a positive impact on this world—I couldn’t be prouder of them.”