Gould Academy Celebrates the Class of 2026 at 190th Commencement

The Gould Academy Class of 2026 on the steps of Gould's main academic building, Hanscom Hall

May 30 2026

Gould Academy celebrated its 190th Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 30, under the tent on Alumni Field, honoring the achievements of the Class of 2026 and recognizing students for excellence in academics, leadership, athletics, creativity, service, and community involvement.

Bagpiper Hillary Anderson ’07 led guest speakers, faculty, and 45 graduating seniors in full regalia through the Alumni Courtyard, across Church Street, and under the tent to begin the ceremony, followed by an invocation from Emily Drummond ’01. Head of School Tao Smith ’90, P’23,’28, welcomed the Class of 2026, families, faculty, and guests. He addressed the Class of 2026 directly, celebrating them for embodying all the characteristics Gould identifies in its Portrait of a Graduate, and then reminded them of a challenge he had issued at Convocation at the start of the school year.

“I asked you then to embrace uncertainty, to choose presence over distraction, growth over comfort, connection over isolation, and wonder over certainty,” said Tao. “Class of 2026, you lived those questions. You lived them in the classrooms, in the mountains, in the dorms, in your advisor's office. In the moments the world saw, and the far more numerous moments the world did not. You have not finished becoming, but what you have become is extraordinary. Welcome to your celebration day. You are ready.”

**Tao presents Valedictorian Ella Wilder with her diploma, the first of the ceremony**

Tao then introduced the Valedictorian address by Ella Wilder, a four-year senior from Brunswick, Maine, who will be attending Colorado College next fall. During her time at Gould, Ella became an adventurer. She walked on the Camino de Santiago in Spain on her immersive Ninth Grade Four Point trip, and returned for a semester abroad during her tenth-grade spring. After thriving on the “Junior Four Point” winter camping expedition during her eleventh-grade year, Ella signed up for a 30-day National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) trip over the Wind River Range in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming. Leaning on her outdoor Gould experiences, her speech centered on the three items she would keep from Gould in her physical and metaphorical backpack.

“Gould gave us people who saw us clearly,” said Ella. “Sometimes more clearly than we saw ourselves. Advisors, teachers, coaches, roommates, friends. These are the people who sit with us in uncertainty, who celebrate our wins and comfort our losses, the people who make us wool hats. These are the people who remind us that asking for help is not a weakness and that leaning on others does not make us less strong. In fact, it’s one of the bravest things we learn to do.”

Tim Sample ’09 discusses the benefits of embarrassment during his commencement address — **Tim Sample ’09 discusses the benefits of embarrassment during his Commencement Address.**

This year’s Commencement speaker, legendary Maine humorist, storyteller, and past Gould parent, Tim Sample P’09, was introduced by longtime member of the Gould Board of Trustees Phyllis Gardiner, also a parent of a 2009 Gould graduate. Mr. Sample is known throughout New England and beyond for his unmistakable Maine accent and Yankee humor. He shared his unique brand of encouragement with the graduating class.

“I am here to be a champion for embarrassment. If you aren’t embarrassed on a regular basis, you simply aren’t paying attention,” said Mr. Sample to a tentful of laughter. “Life is fundamentally embarrassing. And I’ll tell you why. You may not have figured this out yet, but everybody, all of these people—we’re all ad-libbing all of the time. Embarrassment enables [you] to ask for help. It enables you to say, ‘I made a mistake. How might I do better next time?’ And over time, we make progress.”

**A Bethel Fire Department ladder truck sits on Church Street bearing Zach Garfields turnout coat.**

After the presentation of book awards, honors, and scholarships (see the full list of recipients below), Tao Smith introduced senior student speaker Zach Garfield from Bethel, Maine, who was surprised by his fellow Bethel firefighters during the processional earlier that morning, when they displayed his Turnout Coat on the front of a Bethel ladder truck parked on Church Street. Zach became a volunteer firefighter as part of his Senior Four Point project last summer, and responded to calls with the Bethel department throughout the school year. Zach, who will attend Babson College next school year, where he will compete on the Men’s Varsity Alpine team, delivered his speech while wearing his firefighter helmet. He reminisced on stage about the experiences he and his classmates have shared over the past four years.

“Our class was the first class to get the full Gould experience again [after COVID],” said Zach. “For Ninth Grade Four Point, we traveled across the world for the first time in years. We got it all here, and it shows. From the senior four-point projects to [everything we’ve become]: ski patrollers, EMTs, architects, builders, pilots, scuba divers, firefighters, and most importantly, members of our community. If there is one thing Gould [taught us], it’s that community is important.”

**Zach Garfield delivers his senior commencement address wearing his Bethel Fire Department Helmet.**

The ceremony concluded with the awarding of diplomas, a benediction by Emily Drummond ’01, and a recessional to the upper field in front of the Mahoosuc Mountain range backdrop, where the graduates celebrated with family, friends, and faculty.

Awards and Scholarships

Cum Laude Society
The following seniors were inducted into the Cum Laude Society in recognition of scholastic achievement and a commitment to learning: