On June 5, 124 graduates of the Class of 2026 received their diplomas as the tenth graduating class of Sussex Academy.

High school wasn’t perfect, said class-elected speaker, senior Katya Geyer, but mixed in with all of the stressors of school were the random moments that mattered the most.

“One of the biggest things these past four years taught us is that people matter more than accomplishments ever will,” she said. “Years from now, nobody is going to remember your SAT score. But they will remember the people who showed up for them. And honestly, I think our class did a pretty good job of being there for each other.”

Every single person here today is different than they were four years ago, she said. Some people found confidence, others found friendships for life, she said. Some discovered passions, and others simply learned how to keep going even when things got difficult.

“And so, standing here one last time, I want to leave everyone with something familiar,” she said, citing an oft-said quote Sussex Academy students hear in elementary school. “‘Make it a great day or not, the choice is yours.’ But now, as we leave this place and move into whatever comes next, let’s all choose to make it a great life.”

Head of School Kyle Bentley asked each graduate to open and read a note hand-written specifically to them by a staff member, following a tradition started by Chief Academic Officer Janet Owens, who Bentley said was retiring after 26 years with Sussex Academy.

Bentley likened their high school journey to the “Choose your own Adventure” young adult book series in which the reader is the hero of the story.

“If you wanted to take the safe path, you turned to one page,” he said. “If you wanted to take the riskier path, you turned to another. Sometimes your decisions led to success. Sometimes they lead to complete disaster.”

And sometimes, he continued, you flipped back the pages to choose a different adventure when you realized you made the wrong choice.

“But what made these books so special was the idea that your choices mattered,” he said. “Every decision changed your story.”

Bentley then noted the leadership and achievements of graduates in academics, the arts and athletics, and celebrated the paths they will take as they leave Sussex Academy.

“What I admire most about this class is that success did not look the same for everyone, and that is exactly how it should be,” he said. “Our scholars will be choosing their own adventures when this chapter closes.”

📷 : Class-elected speaker Katya Geyer addresses her peers.