RICHMOND HILL - It might be a bit on the nose to suggest that Richmond Hill High School’s graduating Class of 2026 already know what it means to make history. After all, they now hold the remarkable distinction of being the first class to graduate from the brand-new, state-of-the-art campus on 500 Wildcat Blvd.
Last Friday night, Principal Bivins Miller welcomed dozens of graduates and their families onto the school’s new football field, a change of protocol from past ceremonies where seniors had to travel to Brunswick to receive their diplomas. “Renovation, relocation, graduation” was how Principal Miller summed it up in his address.
“What a great day to be a Wildcat,” opened Principal Miller. “Today we celebrate you, the class of 2026. You made the grade, you made the mark, and tonight you hold a title no other class will ever hold. You are the first graduating class to walk the halls of 500 Wildcat Blvd.
“Keep showing up, keep leaning in. Keep living the Wildcat Way,” Miller said.
Afterwards, Student Council President Bruno Waga Okada gave his welcome to graduates and their families.
“I’m sure that tonight, everyone here is feeling a whirlwind of emotions,” said Waga Okada.
“...In moments like this, it’s impossible not to think about everything it took to get here. This feeling of nostalgia is proof that you are living a life you should be proud of.
“So don’t stop now. Keep building a life you’ll look back on with gratitude, pride, and joy,” said Waga Okada.
Salutatorian Jacob Ilyvasov, who will attend University of Georgia in the fall to study biomedical physiology, drew upon his childhood and an anecdote on paper airplanes to inspire his fellow graduates to dream big.
“Every fold damages the perfect surface. But those folds aren’t there to ruin the paper, they’re there to make it fly. In our lives, we often mistake our setbacks for damage. We think our failures have permanently creased our perfect surface. Yet, those exact folds are what give us the strength to fly,” said Ilyvasov.
“....Like that paper airplane, each of us is going to face new folds, moments that challenge us, test us, and change who we are. And while those creases may not always make sense in the moment, they are what will push us forward.”
And Valedictorian Catherine DiMarzio, who will also be attending the University of Georgia to study biochemistry, gave thanks to faculty, family, and God before highlighting balance and “hard work, presence, and selflessness” as the keys for future success.
“As a society, we get caught up in the pursuit of accomplishments when the real challenge is finding balance, presence, and selflessness along the way,” said DiMarzio. “As you step into this next chapter of your life and continue chasing new goals, don’t lose sight of the everyday choices that are equally as important as the planned hard work.”
“You will feel stress, go through change, and face adversity that no one else sees. But what people will notice are the interactions you share along the way. Those are the moments that stay with you long after the achievement itself,” DiMarzio said.
