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Class Valedictorian Ray Dai, flanked by the sign that he and a fellow student created to advocate for passage of the school district budget.

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Kyree McCarthy performs “Meditation from Thais.”

Marla Henderson (left) and Allison Hellwig anticipate the start of the Class of 2026 Commencement.

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Marla Henderson (left) and Allison Hellwig anticipate the start of the Class of 2026 Commencement.

Fredonia Class of ’26 traces their journey at commencement

By Roger Coda

editorial@observertoday.com

Class Valedictorian Ray Dai, flanked by the sign that he and a fellow student created to advocate for passage of the school district budget.

“This class has really impressed me in my first year here, both in their abilities and leadership in classes, and in sports and extracurriculars that they do to become a phenomenal student body.”

That observation made by Fredonia High School Principal Ronald Tonelli just days before school’s 95th annual commencement with more than 100 students was affirmed Sunday afternoon in the Harry A. King Concert Hall on the SUNY Fredonia campus.

In her address, Class Salutatorian Katherine Fortna, who will major in human development at Cornell University, shared that a person’s growth – both while in school and beyond — can happen when the unfamiliar is embraced.

Many seniors have developed a five-year plan, a retirement strategy and a general roadmap to life, but Fortna discovered that many of the best parts of high school – long walks with friends, spur-of-the-moment football games and clubs joined on a whim – hadn’t been planned. They were “moments that seemed insignificant at the time but became some of my favorites,” Fortna shared.

“We opened up to new experiences and bet on ourselves, even when no one else did. We went from uncertain freshmen to thoughtful young adults. That growth happened because we were willing to embrace the unfamiliar,” said Fortna, who is also president of the senior class.

Kyree McCarthy performs “Meditation from Thais.”

As freshmen, no one could have drawn up a roadmap that included every friendship, opportunity, challenge and memory, she said. “And maybe that’s the point.”

While many classmates have a plan in place and their futures mapped out, that shouldn’t stop them from pursuing a different path, trying something new, and finding the place that is best for them, she said.

“Keep setting goals. But stay curious. Stay open to new experiences. And don’t be afraid to take a chance on something unexpected.”

Ray Dai, the Class Valedictorian who will major in climate and sustainability and political science at Columbia University, revisited an experience he and a friend, Benjamin, had last June when they mounted a grassroots campaign in Barker Commons to ask voters to reconsider passing the district’s annual school budget.

“We had signs, pamphlets and not much of a plan beyond that. Fredonia’s school budget had just been rejected, and we felt we had to do something,” he recalled.

Their sign that announced “HONK if you support our students” triggered a foul reply from one motorist, but that didn’t matter. Dai simply held the sign higher, above his head, and yelled back, “We respect your opinion.”

Students submitted an opinion piece to the OBSERVER that urged voters to pass the budget, and they stood on that downtown corner multiple times. “Every weekend, more of our classmates and teachers stood there with us. And for every driver who had something unrepeatable to say, far more honked in support,” Dai recalled.

The driver who cussed the students out didn’t see two students who were concerned about their school, its music program, athletics, extracurriculars and education, Dai said.

“Showing up for your community isn’t something you feel like doing, but it’s something you choose to do. We showed up before we knew whether anything we did would matter, because someone had to,” he said.

“Today, when you walk across this stage and flip your tassel, wherever your path leads, find your “HONK if you support our students.’ Look for the issue that you simply can’t ignore, and then find the message that’s worth holding up proudly,” Dai said.

“No matter what you do, or at what scale, what’s important is that you care for your community and show up. And remember: if someone rolls down their window and starts cussing at you, hold your sign a little higher.”

In the class farewell address, Cooper Stenger conveyed that his experiences as a volunteer fireman taught him that today is a celebration. Firemen often respond to people who experience one of the worst days of their life. “And what strikes me every single time is this: Almost every one of those people woke up that morning believing it would be an ordinary day. None of them expected that everything was about to change.”

That’s a reminder that every day matters, every conversation matters, every choice matters, Stenger said. Choose kindness and compassion, not because it’s easy, but because it matters.

Academic awards presented to students were as follows:

Lauren Arch Memorial Scholarship – Charlotte Caserta

Ricky Burgstrom Memorial Scholarship – Gracia Domenico, Jackson Gollnitz, Allison Hellwig and Sydnee Hoffman.

Gabriel “Bart” Carruth Memorial Scholarship – Brady Crawford;

Love More Foundation Scholarship – Molly Tuccio;

Roger L. Pacos Memorial Scholarship – Olivia Balch, Gianna Novelli, Alexandria Ferguson and Cooper Stenger.

Musical selections were performed by Kyree McCarthy, viola, who played “Meditation from Thais,” and Grant Abbey, bass, “The Way Back.” Both are members of the Tri-M National Music Honor Society.

The Madrigal Singers, directed by Ryan Shanahan, opened the ceremony by singing the national anthem.

The commencement address was delivered by 1991 Fredonia graduate and Buffalo Sabres television broadcast director Matt Gould, who reflected on his experiences over a 35-year career.

Asking the question why is powerful, he stated. “Sometimes scary … often challenging … always gets to the truth of what we think … how we feel … or what happened if there was a problem,” Gould explained.

“But don’t stop at the first why. Often, it’s not even the second or third why that matters … it’s the fourth or fifth why that gets to where the good stuff is. Moving past the obvious … to find the root cause.”

Students can help by being more a problem identifier by being a problem solver, so that problem never happens again. And finding a better way makes one become invaluable, he shared.

While being an Emmy Award recipient and being part of a tech crew at the summer Olympics look amazing on Instagram, Gould impressed upon the seniors that the reward is in the relationships he’s had. “The people work with … what you learn from them … what they take away from your leadership, your empathy, your desire to see them succeed.”

Trevor Napoli, organist, played “Pomp and Circumstance” to open the ceremony and “Marche Pontificale” at the conclusion.