The Class of 2026 of Three Rivers High School toss their graduation caps into the air at the end of the school’s commencement ceremony Thursday, May 21. A total of 141 graduates received their diplomas during the ceremony.
Senior Aidan Martin addresses his classmates in a speech during Thursday, May 21’s Three Rivers High School commencement ceremony.
Senior Makenzie Rennie shows off her diploma cover during Thursday, May 21’s Three Rivers High School commencement ceremony.
By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
THREE RIVERS — At the start of Thursday, May 21’s ceremony graduating the Class of 2026 at Three Rivers High School, class president Mia Cezar remarked on the importance of graduating and the anticipation the class has had to do so.
“Today’s the day you look forward to for years. It feels exciting, a little surreal and maybe a little emotional,” Cezar said. “From eager freshmen to determined seniors ready to take on a new adventure, we all should be proud of this accomplishment.”
Pride was the big theme of the evening, which saw 141 students cross the stage at the high school’s gym to receive their diploma and end their time as TRHS students and go out into the world, either to work, the military, or further education.
Graduation being the start of something new was also a theme of Cezar’s speech to the class.
“Each of us will take different paths, whether that means college, trade school, the military or the workforce. Just remember, we all have a purpose and are more than capable of anything you set your mind to,” Cezar said. “To the Class of 2026, be proud of how far you’ve come. Be excited for what the future holds and always continue to be kind, live in the moment, and follow your dreams.”
Of this year’s graduating class at TRHS, 21 did so with honors, while 39 graduated with highest honors. Two of the highest-honor graduates addressed their fellow classmates during the ceremony.
Aidan Martin, the class’s treasurer who will be going to the University of Michigan this fall to study physical therapy, said graduation is a “celebration that we only get once.” He talked about the togetherness of the class, even if they did different things during their time at TRHS.
“Not all of us have had the same experience. Many of us played new sports or tried out for the musical. A lot of us spent time with Alex in the athletic training office after school for little aches and pains, or maybe some of us just wanted to get out of practice,” Martin said. “Some of us took all the APs Ms. B would let us, and others did CTE classes to try to nail down a future career. The common theme has always been that we’ve done it together. Now, that changes. Every decision we’ve made up to this point has led all of us right back to each other one last time. Now we’re off on our own; let’s make our own story and change the world in our own ways.”
Martin continued by talking about how far the class has come over the last several years, ever since middle school, while injecting a little bit of humor into it, noting they were a “wild bunch” in sixth grade, but that they’ve matured over the years and “learned to deal with difficult situations and learning from our mistakes.” At the end, Martin challenged his class to live “one day at a time.”
“These next couple years of our lives are supposed to be some of the best. Let’s make sure we live in them,” Martin said. “I can’t wait to see what the world has to offer us.”
Alexandria Lewis then spoke next, saying she believed this year’s graduates are “one of the most well-rounded and vocal classes we’ve ever had,” joked about procrastination and ChatGPT being “someone who always has our backs, no matter what,” and that social studies teacher Johnnie Gates was the class’s favorite teacher.
Lewis also commended the class for being willing to have tough conversations with each other during their time at the school, and talked about their generation being able to look at other people’s experiences and understand them.
“The Class of 2026 has a lot to say, and that’s one of our strongest qualities, and I couldn’t be prouder. I couldn’t be prouder to be part of a group of people that can speak their mind, a group of people who know they don’t have to bear the weight alone. This class is full of people willing to listen and take the time to care,” Lewis said. “We’re a generation of people who know we can put on a brave face and still have those vulnerable conversations about what’s going on.”
She concluded by saying the Class of 2026 “represents itself,” and that the class will have “a lot to say” in the future.
“I hope if you take anything from your high school experience, take your empathy, take your understanding, and as we all travel these different paths life has planned for us, remember you’re never the only one experiencing a struggle, and sometimes having something to say about it may be the most powerful encouragement of all,” Lewis said.
Special thanks and appreciation were then given by class vice president Payal Rani and class secretary Kathryn Carlisi to teachers, family, friends, class advisors, and coaches, while giving a shoutout to the families of first-generation graduates. Degrees were then conferred, followed by the reading of one final book to the graduates by Superintendent Nikki Nash.
The final address of the evening was given by Principal Carrie Balk, who focused on the importance of humor while injecting some humor herself into her address, noting a Christmas tree still in the main hallway of the school “that I’ve been waiting five months for Superintendent Nash to ask us about.”
She relayed some humorous moments with the students over the years she’s known them, from a prank about being towed from a no-parking zone to lighthearted “trolling” contests with another student, and a shoutout to the student who wore the school mascot costume for the past four years, she concluded that humor and students grounding themselves in the moment was important as they go forward.
“Humor isn’t just a mood, it’s a survival skill. It’s a natural medicine for your mind, and the ultimate social glue. A shared laugh builds trust, defuses arguments, and brings people closer together, forming the foundation of every connection you’ll ever have,” Balk said. “Whether you’re off to change the human condition, build a business, hold your own as a high school principal wildly outnumbered by teenagers, or just trying to figure out how the algorithms actually work, keep your sense of humor. It is the best defense against life’s minor troubles and your greatest tool for building genuine relationships. No matter what happens, don’t let the bad days win.”
Outside of the humor, Balk noted that she has conferred 1,652 diplomas in the now 12 years she’s been principal of the school, and said Rani, the class vice president and valedictorian, won a prestigious Gates Scholarship as she goes to the University of Michigan to study for the medical field. Balk said out of hundreds of thousands of applicants, Rani was one of approximately 750 nationwide to receive the scholarship, which according to the scholarship’s website, is a “last-dollar” scholarship for outstanding high school seniors from low-income households.
After the speeches, students were instructed by their class officers to turn their tassels, tossing their caps in the air and concluding their time as high school students.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
