Commencement 2026

The sense of joy and pride was palpable as family members, friends, faculty and staff gathered on the Academy lawn in June to mark the conclusion of the 245th school year and to celebrate the 326 members of the graduating class of 2026.

A string quartet — including seniors Martin Yau, Arabella Mariano and Tristan Price — played while Class Marshals Nate Frary, Collin Moore, Anushka Noori and Harini Venkatesh led an enthusiastic procession of their classmates and faculty members to their seats.

Class President Ethan Benenson opened his welcome remarks by citing advice given by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang about the importance of pain and suffering to building resilience. Huang was speaking to students at Stanford Business School, but Benenson said his words would have been a “non-epiphany” to students at the Academy. “Exeter was established with the purpose of building character, and has been practicing that magic formula since 1781,” he said.

In a speech that combined insight with a generous dose of humor, Benenson said perseverance was the common element that united him and his classmates, as well as all Exonians past and present.

“One day in the future, when we cross paths with a fellow alum, the nod and smile we exchange will carry the ultimate shared knowledge of our survival and the raw resilience that comes with it,” he said. “We will know that we are both part of the same story, the same legend, and share the same sense of deep gratitude.”

On behalf of his classmates, Benenson thanked the many people who supported them during their time on campus, from teachers to custodians to campus safety officers to dining hall staff.

To parents and guardians of the graduating seniors, he offered a teasing congratulations — “Your brave experiment in outsourcing a good portion of our upbringing has worked out remarkably well” — before concluding on a sincere note of gratitude: “Thank you for your foresight, your boundless support, your immense sacrifice, and your bold courage to let us grow independently and write our own stories.”

Principal Bill Rawson ’71, who is retiring after eight years as principal, then recognized the longtime faculty members also retiring this year: Hilary Hall, instructor in physical education; Duncan Holcomb, instructor in English; David Hudson, instructor in physical education; Bill Jordan, instructor in history; Paul Langford, instructor in classical languages; Chris Matlack, instructor in science; Brad Robinson, instructor in science; Mark Trafton, instructor in modern languages; and Tanya Waterman, instructor in science. Together the instructors represent a staggering 308 years of service to the Academy.

“This is your day,” Rawson told the class of 2026. He reminded the graduates and the assembled crowd of Exeter’s mission as envisioned by the school’s founders, John and Elizabeth Phillips, and carried on by generations of its leaders: “Unite goodness and knowledge and inspire youth from every quarter to lead purposeful lives.”

“We hold to that belief today,” Rawson said. “We believe that all of you can and will find ways to make a positive difference in the world, on whatever scale you choose, just as you have made a positive difference during your time at Exeter.”

The principal reflected on the core value of non sibi — the Latin expression meaning “not for oneself” — and voiced the hope that students would carry that philosophy into their lives and careers beyond Exeter. “Non sibi is not something that you do after you have been successful in life,” Rawson said. “Non sibi is how you are successful in life.”

He elaborated on the way the non sibi ethos would help guide the seniors as they entered leadership roles. “I hope you will always think of your decision-making authority not as power, but as responsibility — responsibility that you hold in trust for the benefit of others,” he said. “If you understand your authority as responsibility rather than power, then you will be more inclined to approach your responsibilities with humility and empathy.”

Rawson spoke of his own formative experiences visiting his hard-working grandmother, aunts and uncles in Harrisville, Rhode Island. “Harrisville is where I developed my approach to life,” he said, “which can be summed up as: Work hard and treat people well.”

In their time on campus, the seniors enjoyed not only the privilege of an Exeter education, but also the opportunity to live and learn among peers from all over the world with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, Rawson said. He added that he hoped that deep understanding of common humanity would motivate them throughout their lives.

“At the end of the day, when you look back on your lives, your sense of purpose and fulfillment will not be determined by the wealth that you have accumulated or the accolades you have received,” Rawson said. “Your sense of purpose and fulfillment will be determined by how you have impacted the lives of others, how you have made a difference in the communities in which you live, and how you have made others feel along the way.”

In conclusion, Rawson said he would always have affection for the last senior class of his tenure as principal.

“Your class has great ability, great character and great potential to do good work,” he said. “I will be watching with keen interest to see what paths you choose and how you make a positive difference in the world.”