OAK BLUFFS, Mass. — With the iconic iron arches of the Gingerbread-era Tabernacle as their backdrop, 194 seniors from Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School took their final walk as students Sunday afternoon, cheered on by family, friends, and a sizable cross-section of the Island community. The ceremony marked the school’s 66th commencement—a milestone underscored by equal parts joy, reflection, and deep Island pride.
“Wings Ready, Flight Path Uncertain”
Senior emcee Josephine Powers opened the program by likening her classmates to a flock of seabirds navigating unpredictable winds. “Each of you already has the grit and grace to steer through whatever whitecaps lie ahead,” she told the crowd, while guest speaker Kathleen Vieira Da Silva rendered the remarks in Portuguese—a nod to the Vineyard’s robust Lusophone community.
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Remembering Waylon Sauer
Amid the celebration, a poignant thread ran through speeches and songs: the memory of Waylon Madison Sauer, a beloved classmate who died in 2023. An honorary diploma in his name drew a standing ovation as his parents, siblings, and grandfather accepted the certificate on his behalf.
“Waylon, you taught us courage by example,” said salutatorian Broden Vincent, fighting back emotion. “We carry your spark into every new chapter.”
Student Voices of Gratitude and Resolve
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Class President Tayna Silva urged peers to ignore “stats on a spreadsheet” and measure success on their own terms.
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Co-valedictorians Arianna Edelman and Avery Mulvey wove gratitude, nostalgia, and gentle humor into their dual address, citing impromptu beach bonfires and late-night ferry rides as memories that would outlast any exam score.
“My hope,” Mulvey said, “is that today makes you think about who you want to thank—because every single one of us reached this point on the shoulders of somebody else.”
Accolades and Island-Rooted Honors
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Superintendent Dr. Richard Smith—who watched his own son Renny graduate—presented Edelman and Mulvey with the Superintendent’s Outstanding Student Award.
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Principal Sara Dingledy named Edelman, Silva, and Ellie Tomkins as recipients of the Principal’s Leadership Award.
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The coveted Vineyarder Award, reserved for students embodying “the heart and soul of the Island,” went to Jameson Whitmarsh and Caiden Gardner.
An Island Tradition in Song and Celebration
The school’s renowned Minnesingers choir led a moving rendition of The Parting Glass before launching into Fly Away Home, setting the stage for the roll call of graduates. Moments later, tassels flipped from right to left, caps arced skyward, and the late Mac Miller’s upbeat anthem The Spins carried the new alumni down the Tabernacle steps and into the summer sunshine.
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Something You Might Not Know
Built in 1879, the Tabernacle’s wrought-iron trusses were originally shipped to the Vineyard by barge. The open-air structure was designed to host both religious revivals and large community events—making it perhaps the most storied graduation venue of any public high school in New England. This year, the seniors’ procession echoed the footsteps of five generations of Vineyard graduates who have crossed the same wooden floorboards into adulthood.
