Diplomas were handed out to 196 seniors at the Wayland Class of 2026 graduation ceremony on Friday, June 5 under sunny skies.
Wayland High School seniors Kalena Imura, Annie Melander, Rejoice Ejims, and Ben Hammond took turns at the podium at the Wayland High School graduation on June 5. While each had their own motivation, they all referenced the sense of pride and community they discovered throughout their time in Wayland Public Schools.
Like many communities, Wayland transitioned from traditional graduation speeches delivered by the valedictorian and the salutatorian in order to hear from more voices. All WHS seniors who wished to speak at graduations this year had the opportunity to submit speeches for consideration.
English Teacher and Class of 2026 advisor Sara Pourghasemi explained the process and how the winners were chosen.
“We had, I believe, 10 speeches submitted in total and the ones selected to be heard were done so through an anonymous process where a panel of students representing our Executive Board (almost 20 students) read each one without any knowledge of who the writer was,” she said.
All four students were very excited to share their speeches with their classmates during the ceremony. Imura says she was inspired to submit her own speech after hearing her friend Katelyn Chirayath present at last year’s graduation.
“It’s a huge honor to be able to address the class at this special event, and because I hold so much pride for our class… I really want to make everyone in my grade feel appreciated and noticed, and this is a way to address them all instead of trying to find everyone individually,” she explained.
Though their speeches were different, they all carried a familiar thread. Melander referenced growing up in a small town and how this provided students with a genuine opportunity to really get to know each other. Imura spoke about the support students received throughout the years and using this support and the lessons they learned during their school careers as tools to empower them to move forward in life. Ejims also spoke of community building and adversity.
“I feel like both those themes are what I had experienced in Wayland,” Ejims said. “Whether that’s about finding my little community that helped me feel welcomed or going through hard experiences, both themes helped me throughout my four years of high school and will continue to help me for the rest of my life.”
Hammond, the class president, also highlighted the strong bonds of the school community. He wrote a unique speech with reference to a specific type of ants and trees and created a metaphor that connected a specific theme to Wayland students and the school community.
To introduce this connection, he said: “I’d like to talk about some trees and some ants, two very specific species in particular that do something amazing. In the Central American tropics, there’s a tree species called Cecropia. It’s nicknamed the ‘pioneer tree’ — more on that nickname later. A notable feature is its unique hollow branches and stems, and as it grows, it deliberately creates spaces for the Azteca ant to inhabit. Rather than posing an issue for the tree like termites would, there has been a recent discovery of the symbiosis between these two organisms. The ants primarily eat vines and deadened wood all around the trees. The trees even secrete a nectar for the ants to feed on in addition.
The ants get a home and food, and the trees are cared for by an entire ant colony. What I find most remarkable about this relationship is that it goes farther than coexistence. I think ‘synergy’ is a better word. They do more than just live side by side. They feel a sense of belonging with each other.”
Ejims, Hammond, Imura, and Melander were active in the school community. Melander played field hockey and lacrosse; Imura was on the swim team, played volleyball, and was on the student council; Ejims was a member of the sewing club; and Hammond was class president and a talented musician.
“When we announced that they would be delivering speeches, their classmates were enthusiastic and visibly excited,” Pourghasemi added.
The speakers attributed their high school success to various factors — their parents, support from teachers, or their own individual grit — and will use them when they continue their studies in the fall (Imura at Northwestern University to study computer engineering, Rejoice at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in the physical therapy program, Hammond at the University of Connecticut to study engineering, and Melander at Colgate University with an undeclared major but hoping to study English or sociology).
While their travels will take them to different places and their experiences will differ, they will all remember Wayland.
“And some day, most of the people in your life will not know what Wayland is, but for us, it will always be the place that shaped us into who we are,” Melander said in her speech.
2026 Graduation Wishes
A graduation wish for Jayden Newland, Class of 2026:
We are so proud of all your accomplishments and the young man you have become. Wishing you all the best in this new and exciting adventure. “The tassel was worth the hassle!”
Love,
Mom, Dad, and Jonathan
For graduation photos: https://wpclone.waylandpost.org/news/196-wayland-seniors-get-their-diplomas/
