Eastford Graduates Featured in WA Class of 2026
WOODSTOCK — The Woodstock Academy’s 136th Commencement Exercises took place on Saturday, June 13, on the Woodstock Town Common. The Woodstock Academy celebrated the graduation of 263 students, including six from Eastford.
Senior class president Benjamin Arters, of Brooklyn, welcomed classmates and guests.
Isabel D’Alleva-Bochain and Ivar McDonald were honored as the Valedictorian and Salutatorian of the Class of 2026, respectively.
The Yale Honor Cup and the Donald and Hope Williams Scholarships, The Woodstock Academy’s most prestigious awards, were presented. Kaylee Saucier and Ivar McDonald received the Donald and Hope Williams Scholarship Yale Honor Cup. Eli Manning and Isabel D’Alleva-Bochain received the Donald and Hope Williams Scholarship.
Rania Almashharawi addressed her fellow graduates with an adaptation of her first-place essay, “Hakawati – A Story from Gaza to Woodstock,” from the Kathryn Robertson Essay Contest. The award is one of the highest academic honors a writer can achieve at The Academy and was established in memory of Kathryn Robertson, English Department Chair at The Woodstock Academy from 1956 to 1963.
Avery Nielsen '26, The Woodstock Academy’s fifth Poet Laureate, and Claire Anderson '28, the 2026-27 Poet Laureate, presented their original poem “When the Tide Changes” together.
In addition to meeting the requirements necessary to receive a Woodstock Academy diploma, graduates were recognized for grade point averages deserving of summa cum laude, magna cum laude, cum laude, as well as membership in 13 distinct honor societies.
Six seniors from Eastford were a part of the Class of 2026, including Natalie Borges, Sky DuBois, Cayden Menor, Logan Rumrill, Ayden Sirois, and Braeden Williams.
On the previous day, members of the Class of 2026, families, faculty, and the greater Woodstock Academy community gathered in the Loos Center for the Arts on Friday, June 12, for the annual Class Night and Baccalaureate program.
Throughout the evening, soon-to-be graduates were honored with more than 320 awards and scholarships. Generous donors and community partners contributed to the more than $76,000 awarded to 96 Woodstock Academy students during the event.
By a vote of the senior class, Social Studies Teacher Sara Sziedzic was chosen as the inspirational speaker for the Baccalaureate portion of the evening.
Senior class president Benjamin Arters, of Brooklyn, welcomed the families, guests, and classmates. Senior class treasurer, Emma Long of Killingly, presented the senior class gift.
In total, 124 seniors received the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence, which is awarded to students with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher.
The following Eastford residents were honored with Awards and Scholarships:
- Natalie Borges: Tri-M Award
- Cayden Menor: Edward “Bud” Rondeau Memorial Scholarship; High Achievement in Engineering CAD
- Logan Rumrill: Outstanding Achievement in Multicultural Foods; Outstanding Achievement in Pastry & Baking I.
