Old Saybrook High School’s Class of 2026 walked across the stage this spring carrying four years worth of memories, friendships, and accomplishments that shaped who they are today. From freshman year to the final bell, this class made its mark on the school in ways that will not be forgotten anytime soon. On graduation day, all of it came together in one room, with families packed into the seats and a group of seniors ready to take the next step.
Before the diplomas, the class got one final trip together. Their senior excursion took them to Boston for a day that hit just about every note you could ask for. It was a day that clearly resonated with the class beyond just the sightseeing. Senior Mia Casertano summed up what the trip meant to a lot of people: “It was nice to have everyone together and really feel more like a family than a grade.” They explored Faneuil Hall and made their way through Quincy Market, one of Boston’s most iconic spots, before finishing the day at Fenway Park for a Red Sox game. It was a fitting end to a senior year, a full day in the city with the people they had spent the last four years growing up alongside. For many of them, the baseball was almost secondary. It was the time together, in those final weeks before graduation scattered everyone in different directions, that made the trip worth remembering.
The Class of 2026 came into high school as a group of freshmen and leaves as something much more than that. When asked to reflect on their time at Old Saybrook, seniors pointed to memories that ranged from big championship moments to the kinds of experiences that are harder to put on paper but mean just as much. Senior Emma Courtright put it simply: “I will always remember field day. Every single one was so memorable and important to me.” Pippa Wrightsman looked back on the DC trip as a standout, “I think my favorite memory from high school is the DC trip, especially going to see all the memorials lit up at night and getting to do it all with all my friends.”
For a number of seniors, their proudest moments came on the field and on the court. Josh Roslonek pointed to the boys soccer team’s Shoreline Championship win against East Hampton sophomore year as the memory that stood out most. “The whole town was there to see it and it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever been a part of.” Michele Sapozhnikov had a moment of her own to be proud of, winning the singles championship as part of the girls tennis team’s Shoreline title run, taking down the reigning champion in the process. “I was very proud of myself and it’s something I’ll remember forever,” she said.
The Class of 2026 leaves Old Saybrook High School with championship titles, unforgettable trips, and four years of moments that no diploma can fully capture. They came in as strangers in a hallway and left as something far more than classmates. The memories they made, from field days to DC memorials to a Red Sox game in the final weeks of senior year, are the kinds of things that stay with people long after the details start to blur. Whatever comes next, whether it is college, work, or something nobody has figured out yet, this class carries Old Saybrook with them. To the parents, families, and teachers who watched them grow, thank you for being part of it. Congratulations to the Class of 2026.
