by Geoff Fox
Last Tuesday evening saw 24 Hancock High School seniors say goodbye to the school and hello to the next chapter in their lives.
After some last-minute preparation and togetherness in the school’s cafeteria, the graduates marched to the auditorium where family and friends waited.
When the band started playing “Pomp and Circumstance,” the graduating seniors proceeded down the aisle toward the stage with cheers and applause.
Principal Jennifer Ruppenthal welcomed everyone and lead the Pledge of Allegiance. The band then played the National Anthem.
Class President Brooklyn McCusker then went over a few rules for the audience as the graduation exercises went forward.
Salutatorian Ethan Hill reflected on how standing in front of his fellow graduates was a reflection of everyone who helped him get there.
“None of us made it to this moment without the support of others,” he said.
He said behind each student, there is a support system of parents who pushed them, teachers who believed in them, and friends who stood by them through thick and thin.
He also reflected on the moments in sports that taught him helped build him over his high school career.
Hill, who will be attending Fairmont State University to study to become a physical education teacher, said some students are going to college, some straight to work, and some are still figuring it out and “that’s alright.”
“What matters is that we learned here and use it to keep running,” he said.
Valedictorian Landon Howe said when he was thinking about what to say at graduation, he kept going back to how they all fit together on the journey and how they grew up side-by-side.
He said some of his favorite memories weren’t just in the classroom, but also in band, citing the rehearsals, performances, and the band’s trip to Orlando.
Howe thanked the teachers who have been with the students over the years.
“You pushed us when we needed it, supported us when things were difficult, and believed in us even when we didn’t always believe in ourselves,” Howe said.
He also thanked families for their support and fellow graduates for their friendship and memories over the years.
“As we leave here and go our separate ways, things will change,” he said. “We’ll meet new people, face new challenges, and start new chapters in our lives.”
What the graduates built at Hancock High School will stay with them, even though they might not end up at the same place, but Howe said he believes each of them has the ability to do something meaningful in their lives.
“No matter how far we go, part of us will be right here together,” he said.
Howe will be attending HCC this summer, finishing his associate degree in psychology and plans to attend St. Mary’s College of Maryland in the fall.
Ruppenthal then presented the Class of 2026 to Washington County Public Schools Board of Education member Ashley McCusker, who declared the students were eligible to receive their diplomas.
Assistant Principal Jennifer Bausman read the name of each graduate with Ruppenthal handing them their respective diploma and a picture.
After the graduates had all received their diplomas, Ruppenthal had them move the tassel on their cap from right to left to signify they’d graduated.
Graduates were then dismissed and left the auditorium at Hancock High School for the last time as students to cheers, applause, and high fives from family and friends.
Once outside, the graduates stood by the flagpole in the parking lot and, amid the shutters of cameras, tossed their caps in celebration.
Family and friends gathered in the driveway of the high school to take pictures with their graduates and congratulate each other.
All photos by Geoff Fox/The Hancock News
