Unionville High School

It was all smiles and joy as more than 300 members of the Unionville High School Class of 2026 became the school’s latest graduates. The messages from administrators and students alike were about awareness, time, gratitude, and living a good story.

Principal Pat Crater opened the commencement, saying that the Class of 2026 broke barriers all year long, in sports, arts, and academic achievement.

“There is much to be proud of,” he said, “but that is not the whole story. No way, because sitting in front of me are a group of really good people, people with high character. And we all know that character matters tremendously. We are proud of every single one of you….Recently, as a class, we talked about making your exit with grace. This morning there was one more lesson to share with you. It’s a simple one. My final message to you is to look up.”

Crater continued, saying the world is moving fast, “faster than any generation in the history of the world. It’s important to pause every now and then, to slow down for a second, to trust your senses, to reflect deeply.”

He told the soon-to-be graduates to turn to their left and right, slow down and look to the audience, and then to reflect on all the family and the friends who love them. “Pause and embrace this moment.”

Crater told the class that there’s a village that helped them get to where they are at this moment. He told them to hold on to their imaginations as they look up to see a plane and wonder where it’s going.

He added that they can look up at night and see the North Star and know that a friend miles away can see the same star. Look at the trees, listen to the birds.

“You never know what you’re going to find or create…Sometimes you have to close the laptop, take a break from the scrolling. Make a conscious effort to see or feel the world around you through your eyes and senses. Be in the moment. Make a decision to crank up the music and stare out the car window instead of staring at the phone. Because after all, you might see something spectacular.”

Crater’s comments were followed by Superintendent of Schools Tim Hoffman, who reminded the class that time is precious.

“In the quiet moments leading up to today, I’ve been contemplating time. Where does time go?” he said.

After making a brief comment about his own daughter graduating, he said that as parents, people often wonder where time goes and how it passes so quickly.

“Time is precious,” Hoffman said. “It’s often said that days go slow but the years go fast. I’m sure I speak for everyone in this room in saying that we all wish we had more time with you, more precious moments.”

He called time a “universal currency” in that it’s given to every person on Earth, but you can’t get more of it, and you can’t control how much you get.

“That said, I challenge you to think of time, not just as a currency to be spent, but as a deliberate investment. In the years ahead you’ll be tempted to spend time on the superficial or the fleeting, on things that, in the end, do not matter. Instead, invest your time. Every hour you dedicate in mastering a skill, nurturing a passion, or building relationships is an investment that pays dividends in the person you are becoming.”

But Hoffman added that the graduates should take time in small increments to develop meaningful relationships.

“Prioritize your time and stay connected to those who believe in you unconditionally. Don’t waste precious seconds trying to convince someone to get their attention. Never beg for a seat at someone’s table. Those who truly value you will always make room for you. I also urge you to invest time in yourself. Know that your mental health is not a luxury; it is essential.”

Following Hoffman, came remarks from students Addison Megill and Jacob Cosola, and from UHS Educator of the Year Julie Toy.

Megill thanked the faculty for their support and thanked her classmates and friends who gave her moments to forward to. And she thanked family who guided her and her classmates along the way.

Cosola said that members of the class came of age at a time that demanded much of them, before they were ready, and some of those times he wouldn’t wish on anyone.

“But despite that, we are all here. Every single one of us made it to graduation, and we should all be proud of the work we did to get here.”

For Toy, her comments focused on gratitude. She thanked the student for naming her Educator of the Year, then said they need to tell a great story.

She told the class — and showed them — a T-shirt with the words “Live a Great Story.” And that was her message to the graduating class.

She said she wore the shirt during many of her adventures in Alaska and Hawaii, but now it was the graduates’ turn to have their own adventures and to make their own great stories.

“Be purposeful of not just living a good story but live a great story. And a great story will need you to be an active participant. It will need your attention and effort. Your story, like any story, will need to include some key elements,” she said.

Those elements include a great setting and a great plot, she said. The setting can be local; just put down the phone and close the laptop. A great plot will include conflict, she added.

“There will be plenty of ups and downs. Your story will be no different.”