NORTHBOROUGH — Danny Schanzer, the senior class essayist, remembers sitting with his legs criss-crossed in his elementary school classroom when he got his school email address. Notably, it began with the number 26, his graduation year.
When Schanzer asked his teacher the meaning behind the number, he was awestruck at just how far into the future 2026 was. He recalls pausing, thinking about it, and delivering a one-word response: “Whoa.”
On June 6, Schanzer found something else to marvel about: the camaraderie built between members of Algonquin Regional High School’s Class of 2026. As part of the school’s 63rd commencement, approximately 276 students walked across the stage, accepted their diplomas, turned their tassels, and threw their mortarboard caps in the air, ending their time on Bartlett Street.
“We did it,” Schanzer told his classmates. “Not just through assignments, tests, and projects, but through all these moments that really shaped these years. We grew up together — we experienced first days, last days, stressful nights, friendships, changes, successes, failures. And even though we all share different versions of high school, we share this place. … In one way or another, we got to this point together.”
Togetherness was the common theme across speeches from both students and administrators. Students celebrated together, embraced challenges together, and ultimately graduated together on Dick Walsh Field…