When describing the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School class of 2025 one word immediately comes to mind for class advisors Erin Slossberg and Nell Coogan: resilience.
“Many of them had to grow up faster than they wanted to over these last couple years,” Ms. Coogan said. “They’re looking into lots of different schools all over the place, trade schools and they’re more open to different opportunities than I think they were when they came in.”
The senior class will walk across the stage at the Tabernacle on Sunday sharing one last moment together as a class before beginning the next chapters in their lives. The graduation ceremony begins at 1:30 p.m. on June 8.
Class Night will be held Friday, June 6, also at the Tabernacle, where the community will celebrate the students with more than $1 million in scholarships.
The death of classmate Waylon Sauer in 2023 remains on students’ minds as they prepare to celebrate this milestone without him by their side.
Principal Sara Dingledy, who will be transitioning in a new role within the school district after this year, said the tragedy brought the students together.
“They were an unusually close class and I’m sure part of that came through bonding with loss,” she said. “That really helped them step up and support one another. They’re thoughtful and pensive and overall curious and supportive of one another.”
Rodeo Purves-Langer, who will be attending Clark University, recognized the persistence of the class.
“With the passing of [Waylon] last year, along with some of the personal things that other students have had to go through over the course of the four years, I think a lot of people have changed for the better,” he said.
The class organized the Waylon Madison Sauer Memorial 3v3 Basketball Tournament in honor of their classmate, as well as an accompanying scholarship fund. The second iteration of the tournament took place this past April.
Students also pursued other fundraising efforts throughout their years in high school. Calahan D’Arcy, who will attend Harvard University and participate in their Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program, focused on raising support and money for veteran housing.
“I just started to do all my community service with the veterans because I decided that it was what I was passionate about and I wanted community service work that actually meant something to me,” he said.
Many of the graduating class also excelled in athletics, representing the Vineyarder purple. Nate Averill and Hunter Johnson both surpassed the 100-point mark with the ice hockey team and Kaua De Assis broke multiple records swimming. High jumper Camille Brand has represented the school on the national level, and the boys basketball team and football team had opportunities to play at TD Garden and Fenway Park respectively. Currently, the boys and girls tennis teams are still advancing in the state tournament.
Class president Tayna Silva, who will attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said her involvement with student government helped her realize things about herself she never would have discovered otherwise.
“Leadership is such an important skill, and you don’t really know you have it until you’re put in the situation in which you use it,” she said. “It taught me so much with public speaking and to step up and take charge, make plans and communicate with others.”
Some students are already thinking about how they can give back to the Island that raised them.
Sofia Sampaio, who will attend Stonehill College, found a way to use her language interpeter skills to assist the community, and plans to return to the Vineyard after finishing school to teach English as a second language.
“I feel like it came from my experience through my whole life living in between two worlds,” she said. “I have a passion for helping, especially teenagers if they move to a new country. I want to help them out with that transition and learn the new language.”
Jameson Whitmarsh said he will always remember what the Island has taught him. He will be attending the University of New Hampshire to study music education, a passion formed after involving himself in the arts with the Minnesingers and the Martha’s Vineyard Big Band.
“I’m definitely going to hold on to a lot of the growth that I’ve had,” he said.
Sophie Winters, who will be attending the University of Michigan, said the class continues to grow closer as graduation approaches.
“The different friend groups at this point are sort of merging into one,” she said. “It’s really just so nice to be able to get to know more people. I’ve really met some very interesting people who have really changed my points of view about life.”
Ms. Slossberg said she knows the connections made in high school will continue to play an important role in the students’ lives.
“One of the beautiful things about the relationships that you make and the place that we live [in] is people often just don’t disappear from Martha’s Vineyard,” she said. “Relationships get to continue, and they get to become a new iteration of itself. That is the gift that keeps giving.”
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