LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — Sullivan West High School celebrated its 81 graduates in a ceremony on Friday, June 26 in the high school gymnasium.
Students made their processional walk accompanied by the Sullivan West Band, led by Kristina Verrico, playing Pomp and Circumstance. Sullivan West Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Bressler spoke following the walk, saying she had trouble writing this speech because she couldn’t find a unifying theme to match the many individual personalities.
“As I began thinking about this speech, I kept asking myself, ‘What makes this class stand out from the rest?’ We are all so proud of you, and continuously say what an amazing class you are, but at first I struggled to come up with a way to describe you as a group.”
“I don’t see you as a group; I see you as the individuals who make up this class,” Bressler said. “I see you all as strong individuals to accomplish so much. You definitely have perseverance and grit.”
Bressler continued, saying that the one unifying trait for the Sullivan West class of 2026 was the light students brought into the school and the joy they spread to their classmates, teachers, administrators, other faculty and campus visitors.
“I’ve had the opportunity to walk through the halls with visitors all the time, from state senators to prospective families to colleagues from across the state, and every single one of them comments on you. They notice that you greet people, look them in the eye, and say hello. They notice that you’re kind and helpful and they notice your confidence. You each have a presence. We see your light, and it brings us joy.”
After Bressler concluded her remarks, David Eggleton, the high school’s principal, spoke. Eggleton started by thanking the numerous faculty and volunteers who made the day possible, and expressed his utmost gratitude for their hard work. Eggleton then addressed the students, encouraging them to keep learning and growing throughout the rest of their lives.
“Who you are today will be completely different from who you are at the age of 30, 40 and 50 years old, and that’s not just OK, that’s exactly the way that it should be,” Eggleton said. “You will learn, and you will try new things throughout your entire life. Failure is sometimes part of the process. Problems aren’t a sign that something’s wrong with things in life. These are signs that your life is alive.”
Eggleton then called for graduates to live lives that are full, enjoying every moment and taking charge to make life the best it can be.
“Be responsible for your own self-determination. That means you have the power to make your own choices, and lastly, be the best that you can be,” Eggleton said. “It’s not about beating the other person in line, it’s about being the best version of yourself. Hold on, at the end of each day, make sure your life is full of ‘I can’t believe I just did that,’ instead of ‘I wish I did that.’”

The Sullivan West Choir, led by Jerry Hoch, sang “The Road Not Taken” from “Frostiana,” a choral suite set to the words of poet Robert Frost. Valedictorian Hunter Ebeling then gave his address, in which he thanked the school’s custodial staff for all their work “behind the scenes,” as well as thanking his family.
Ebeling then looked at the time he spent in high school, asking himself what ultimately matters in the end. The answer he came up with was spending time with loved ones and doing the things you love.
“All the tests I passed, all the time I spent studying, all the hours I spent working at Lander’s, cleaning up after campers who took firecrackers into porta potties—did they really mean anything if they culminate in a life that I regret?” Ebeling asked. “I think the answer is pretty obvious.”
“I doubt anyone on their deathbed laments the fact that they didn’t study enough for that one test, or that they didn’t increase shareholder value to their fullest

extent, but they might regret that they didn’t spend enough time with the people they loved, or that they never had time to do the things they loved,” he said.
He encouraged his fellow graduates to seek the things that make them happy or are their true passions, telling them to live the life they want to live.
“Anything that makes you lose all track of time or makes you cry from laughing is worth your investment. Remember that this is your life, not your friends’, not your family’s, and you and only you can make it worth living,” Ebeling said. “...Don’t let anyone pressure you into making yourself miserable.”
Salutatorian Weilian Gao spoke, thanking his family. Gao, who delivered a portion of his address in Chinese in honor of his family and his bilingual older sister, who served as his support system, encouraged graduates not to be afraid to rely on their own support systems. He also encouraged graduates, regardless of their future, to live in the moment.
“For some, this will be the first and last graduation. For others, they may have another. That said, remember to live in the present, don’t dwell on the past, or worry about the future,” Gao said. “Your high school graduation means a big change in your life, but one thing doesn’t change: the people who have supported you up until now, whether that’s parents, siblings, friends or even teachers. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if you turn back to them when things get difficult, or when you need support, and always remember to find people you can rely on.”
Gao also gave some advice in the form of two sayings, adding that while the advice he gave seems contradictory, it was by design. He went on to say that the nature of advice is not getting the right advice, but knowing when to use the right advice.
“I would like to share my two favorite sayings: ‘We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.’ I like this saying because it reminds you not to worry all the time about what might happen at any given time. I like to pair the saying with, ‘Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.’ I like the saying because it reminds you that preparation is vital for capturing success,” Gao said. “They might sound contradictory, and that’s because they are. Life advice is not always using the same advice, but using it at the right time. I like to use the first saying when things are out of my control, and I like to use the second when I’m the one in control.”
After Gao finished his speech, seniors joined the band to play one last song, and then diplomas were presented by Eggleton, Bressler, assistant principal Sarah Mootz and school board president Rose Joyce-Turner.
After students received their diplomas, the ceremony concluded with Meghan Kelly, the senior class president, presenting the class gift. Due to setbacks from COVID, students had a large treasury, which they spent on a wooden flag and a donation to Ride to Survive, a local volunteer organization that provides rides to patients seeking cancer treatment.
Following the reception of the gift, Eggleton took the stage again and officially presented the Sullivan West graduating class of 2026.