The Hill School's 2026 Commencement Ceremony

Despite the soggy weather and unseasonably cold temperatures, spirits were high, and smiles were warm and in abundance for The Hill School's historic 175th Commencement Exercises, which took place on Saturday, May 23, 2026. The celebration began with a Baccalaureate service in the Alumni Chapel, led by the sixth form with an address offered by Retiring Chief Financial Officer Rick Wood. 

 Meigs Family Head of School Kathleen Devaney presided over the Commencement Ceremony and began by congratulating the 158 members of the Class of 2026 and their families for making it to this culminating moment in their Hill School journeys.  Ms. Devaney also thanked the faculty for their role in guiding and supporting the class, especially form advisers, Dave Hoffman ’01, instructor of English and head coach of varsity wrestling, and Laura McConney, instructor of history & social sciences and director of residential life.

In her address, Ms. Devaney applauded the Class of 2026 for throwing themselves wholeheartedly into life at Hill.

“Because you are so comfortable with one another and because you have done the work to intentionally reach out to one another and to pull one another in, you were well positioned to lead the School this year,” said Ms. Devaney. “You led well and your forward lean has made us all better. Thank you.” 

She noted the individual and collective impact this class had on the School, as writers, even book authors, prefects and council members, co-presidents and club leaders, and captains. In addition, class members made contributions as part of nationally ranked field hockey and boys' lacrosse teams; a wrestling team with three All-Americans; a PAISAA Championship boys’ basketball team, girls’ soccer and basketball teams that won the Commonwealth Cup, a girls’ hockey team that won the Exeter and Hill School Invitationals, a resurgent girls’ softball team, record-holding track stars and nationally ranked rowers, actors, musicians, singers, and dancers.

Then, Ms. Devaney shared a story which she felt represented the class as a whole and their willingness to stretch out of their comfort zones and support others.

Earlier in the year, Ms. Devaney recalled asking students with a free B period to stay after lunch one day to ask if anyone would consider joining the orchestra to fill a need for a percussionist. Sixth former Anna Lloren was the first to volunteer. When Ms. Devaney saw Anna struggle during a rehearsal, she felt terrible about putting her in this position and felt she needed to apologize. Anna’s response was positive and shared: ““I am glad I raised my hand, and said yes. I am glad I joined orchestra. I like being a part of a team, being a good teammate and helping to fill a need.”

Ms. Devaney felt Anna’s willingness to step in, support others, and grow through discomfort, represented sentiments that the entire Class of 2026 embodied during their time at Hill, sharing: “Each one of you, perhaps literally, but definitely figuratively, has had B period free during your time at Hill and you have leaned in.”

“Be it on your team, in your dorm, for your roommate or your classmate, for a member of the grounds team or for a teacher, you have contributed to someone else’s win and participated in the shared Hill enterprise of becoming better together,” said Ms. Devaney.

Ms. Devaney then invited Susanna Ponniah to deliver the Sixth Form Student Address.

Remarks by Susanna Ponniah '26

In her remarks, Susanna Ponniah reflected on the Class of 2026’s shared experience through a simple but resonant metaphor: a family tradition of passing out slices of birthday cake before taking one for yourself. The image underscored a central lesson learned at Hill: fulfillment grows out of generosity and participation, not self-interest.

“Joy isn't something you keep. It's something you pass,” Susanna said, using the tradition to frame a broader message about community and contribution.

She acknowledged a familiar challenge for students: complacency. A word often repeated by their form advisers, Ms. McConney and Mr. Hoffman, Susanna described how, once students grew comfortable, it became easy to disengage in small but meaningful ways, participating less, taking fewer risks, and narrowing their circles. But Hill, and their form advisers, consistently pushed back against that tendency, reminding students “to keep showing up, to keep giving, to keep passing something forward.”

Drawing on examples from daily campus life -- prefects helping classmates to students holding doors or advocating for their teams – Susanna highlighted how the community was built through quiet, consistent acts of generosity. “When people stop giving to the community, the sense of connection that holds it together starts to fade,” she said.

Susanna emphasized that Hill’s sense of community was not automatic, but intentionally created. “We built it. Intentionally, patiently, and yes—awkwardly,” she said, pointing to imperfect club meetings, difficult conversations, and moments of vulnerability as essential to that process.

She encouraged classmates to carry those habits forward, noting that they are “not leaving here finished,” but with a clearer understanding of what matters. “We leave understanding that our greatest contribution is ourselves,” Susanna said.

She left her classmates with these final thoughts and a charge:

Because here's what I've realized, standing here today: my family's tradition and this school were never two different things. Hill calls itself a family boarding school. And in my family, this is what we do. You feed everyone else first. You give the parts of yourself that are hardest to give. You are not complacent with your joy, your time, or the space you take up in this world.

Class of 2026, we’ve been practicing this tradition for years. Every time someone made room at the table. Every time someone stayed when they didn't have to. Every time someone gave something of themselves without expecting anything back. That was the tradition. That was Hill. And now it's ours to carry. Congratulations, Class of 2026. Pass it on.

Wallace G. Gundy '04 Addresses the Class of 2026 

Ms. Devaney then introduced Wallace G. Gundy ’04, president of the Alumni Association, to address the graduating class.

Ms. Devaney noted that Wallace’s lifelong connection has been truly lifelong, arriving to Hill as an infant, the daughter of two dedicated faculty members, Jay and Kim Gundy. She grew up on campus in Sheppard House with her younger brother, Mac, and with Hill’s campus as her playground. As a Hill student, Wallace distinguished herself through her leadership, service, and involvement across campus life, earning two of the School’s top Commencement prizes.

Ms. Devaney shared that since her Hill graduation, Wallace’s dedication to this community and, especially to her classmates, has never wavered. In 2020, Wallace became the first alumna to serve as President of the Alumni Association, and has led with energy, vision, and deep love for this School. She helped to strengthen alumni engagement, co-established the Whatsoever Things Are True Award, and built a more connected and collaborative Alumni Association Executive Committee.

“Wallace embodies the spirit of loyal service to others and enthusiastic leadership that has defined Hill for the last 175 years,” said Ms. Devaney.

Wallace offered a powerful message shaped by her own journey as a Hill graduate, faculty child, educator, business leader, and lifelong member of the School community.

She reflected on the challenges, risks, and opportunities that have defined her life since graduating from The Hill 22 years ago. At the center of her remarks was a simple but powerful idea: "What I've learned is this: Your whole life is a series of hills. Your whole life. Is a series. Of hills."

Wallace opened her address with humor, recalling the call from Ms. Devaney that invited her to serve as Commencement speaker and joking that even decades after graduation, a call from the Head of School still creates concern that she might be "in trouble."

She also wore her well-worn, well-loved Hill squash hat, a keepsake from her years as a student-athlete, symbolizing her enduring connection to the School and to her squash coach and adviser, the late David Allain.

"I love this place," Wallace told graduates. "I love it deeply."

A faculty child who grew up on campus, she traced many of the most important decisions in her life back to relationships formed at The Hill. Teachers, coaches, advisers, classmates, and alumni mentors influenced everything from where she attended college to her professional path.

"So many pivotal moments in my life trace back, in some way, to The Hill School," Wallace said. "The roads I've taken, the risks I've taken, the people who inspired me, the opportunities that found me, in some way lead back here."

Throughout her address, Wallace returned to the metaphor of hills as the challenges that shape a person's life. She reflected on academic struggles in college, personal setbacks, a career transition from education to business, and the challenge of building a new career at Amazon.

She recognized that at each turning point, she found herself standing at the base of another hill. "At the bottom of each of these hills, I've reminded myself: You've done hard things before. You've figured it out before. You'll figure this one out too."

Those experiences, she explained, taught her that meaningful growth comes from embracing difficult climbs rather than avoiding them.

"Things in life that truly matter will challenge you to climb," Wallace said. "Tough conversations. Failure and beginning again. Heartbreak. Moving to a new place. Losing a loved one. A new opportunity. Taking a big risk and betting on yourself."

Wallace also encouraged graduates to recognize the hills they had already climbed during their time at The Hill -- from arriving on campus for the first time and navigating preseason athletics to discovering passions, developing leadership skills, and finding lifelong friendships. "Hill after Hill after Hill," she said. "Challenges posed and challenges met."

Near the end of her address, she offered three pieces of advice for their future climbs: rely on the people around you, trust in your own confidence, and, with a smile, "get a good piece of luggage,” -- a callback to the royal blue luggage her parents gave her when she graduated from The Hill that at the time she recalls not appreciating too much.

The luggage, she reflected, became a symbol of the life that awaited her beyond graduation. "They knew before I did that I had a big life ahead of me, and I needed to get packing."

She also urged members of the Class of 2026 to remain connected to one another and to the School long after commencement. "Your time as a student is finite, but your years as a Hill graduate last forever, and they are only just beginning," she said.

In her closing, Wallace tied her message to one of The Hill's most cherished commencement traditions.

"Before you climb your next Hill, you've got to take a leap," she told graduates. "The Dell Jump. The water is murky. You do not entirely know what awaits you. Which, now that I think about it, is excellent preparation for life after here."

She then left them with a final reminder: "You are stronger than you know. You are more ready than you think."

As the Class of 2026 prepared to leave campus and begin the next chapter of their lives, Wallace’s message was clear: embrace the climb ahead.

"Go take your leap," she said, "and then start climbing your next hill."

Presentation of Special Awards and Diplomas

Ms. Devaney then presented a series of traditional Special Commencement Prizes to select members of the class. View a complete list of Special Prize Winners and their citations below.

Members of the Class of 2026 and their family, friends, and Hill faculty all joined voices in singing the School song, "A Thousand Hands," followed by the official presentation of the diplomas by Board Chair James Alexandre '75. 

Before heading to the Dell Pond, each graduate placed a brick engraved with their name on the center pathway on the Quad. After a quick change into their “Class of 2026” t-shirts, the class celebrated as new alumni with the traditional dip in the Dell.

View a recording of the 175th Baccalaureate and Commencement Exercises.