Seneca High School graduated 276 members of the class of 2026 on June 18, in a windy, on-field ceremony.
In a message to the class, advisors Chris Repsher and Renee Collins, shared their thoughts.
“It’s funny how time works – how days felt like years, but the years felt like days,” they noted. “And now, you’re standing at the edge of of the next chapter. Don’t let this be the highlight of your life. Let it be the starting line.”
As students filled their seats, Karen O’Neil, assistant principal and director of athletics and activities, took the stage and highlighted the support behind the graduates.
“It truly takes a village,” she shared, “and we are so thankful to the many individuals who have supported our graduates along the way.”
The school community has embraced countless memories throughout the last four years. Student council president Shane McClelland embraced what she believes the school has taught the class of 2026.
“Seneca taught us that some of life’s greatest fulfillment comes from lifting up the people around us,” she noted. “Connection is something we all crave, but somehow, in our modern world, this simple human need has become so scarce …
“When life feels overwhelming, human connection is the best medicine we have.”
“For those first weeks of Seneca, the most emphasized words we heard were ‘Seneca Family,'” recalled class president Shawn Realley. “We may have quickly brushed it off as some sort of cliche, but we were told to get as involved as possible …
“As much as I prepared to avoid the unexpected, it was in the unknown that we created our own branch of the Seneca family.”
As the family of graduates enters its next phase, they are leaving an impressive list of accomplishments behind them.
Forty-six students were honored with People’s Choice Awards. More than $87,000 in scholarships were awarded through a variety of programs, including one student who got a year of tuition at Rowan College at Burlington County. For four years, 18 students successfully received straight As. Fifty-six students celebrated membership in the National Honor Society, and seven students who will pursue military service following graduation were cited at the graduation.
The graduates are said to be up for the challenge of whatever the starting line may hold.
See more graduation photos on pages ……..
