The Bromfield School Class of 2026 received their diplomas Friday afternoon in the kind of outdoor ceremony that has become a welcome Harvard tradition, under a near-perfect summer sky on the school’s athletic field.
Student keynote speaker Jacob Dangel captured something about this class: they had grown up in a bubble, 82 students who have known each other since kindergarten, weathered a pandemic together in middle school, and emerged remarkable for their kindness and cohesion. They were born when the population of school-aged children in Harvard was at its peak, but are now one of the smallest classes in school history (see “By the Numbers” on page 13). They have been dealing with the distractions of social media for years, but among the first classes to encounter AI in the classroom.
Superintendent Linda Dwight, who watched them grow up as both their superintendent and the parent of a graduate, put it plainly after the ceremony: “A lot of people cared about them. I think that’s a sense of security.”
We also say farewell to six retiring educators and staff members: Patricia Shepherd, Cynthia Ambrosino, Deb Walker Lyvers, Marybeth Quaadgras, Elizabeth Hart, and Sharon Schmidt. Their years of service shaped generations of Harvard students.
We wish the Class of 2026 the very best, and look forward to celebrating their milestones in the years to come.