VIDEO: Akron High School Celebrates Class of 2026

As Akron High School’s Class of 2026 celebrated the end of their High School careers, they were urged to look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

“As we walk the stage and leave Akron High School for the final time, we can carry with us the memories we have made, the successes and failures we have encountered, the lessons we have learned, and the dreams we have fostered,” said valedictorian Ava Lombard. “We are not bound by a singular path as we head forward in our lives; rather, we have the whole world laid out before us.”

The class of 94 seniors was recognized during a ceremony at the High School Auditorium on June 26, 2026, joined by a full house of family, friends and supporters in the community.

During the ceremony, graduate Benjamin Gerstung was presented the Crystal Tiger, a student-voted recognition which comes with a $2,000 scholarship sponsored by the Akron PTA and Benjamin’s name engraved on the Crystal Tiger Pedestal in the High School Showcase of Excellence. The evening also included a celebration of the Class of 1976, as well as the presentation of the class gift and musical performances from the Akron High School Graduation Ensemble.

Other student speakers during the evening included salutatorian Whitley Koopman, who asked her classmates to remember those who helped them along their way.

“As we begin the composition of life, don’t forget that little kid who got you this far.  Don’t forget the teachers and faculty who sacrificed their time to help lift you higher. Don’t forget the friends you made along the way,” Koopman said. “Don’t forget those who raised you through it all.”

Class president Christopher Ginestre commended his fellow graduates for their ability to work collaboratively despite the pressure to compete for individual awards and recognitions. He said that mindset helped create league-winning athletic teams, award-winning musical ensembles and spurred thousands of dollars in donations for Special Olympics New York and the Akron Food Pantry.

“We used competition to better one another, to lift each other up, and to make each other better,” Ginestre said. “Our response to competition created a community within our class.”

Congratulations to the Akron High School Class of 2026!