For more photos of the event visit our Flickr album.

On a steamy Friday morning in June, faculty, staff, family, and friends convened at City Center Theater in Brooklyn to fête the class of 2026 as they prepared to leave the nest.

 

 

Speakers offered poignant, heartfelt advice for the departing seniors, with their Dean Loretta Owens urging them to “carry their magic” with them as they head into the world. Dr. Weyburn encouraged the graduates to “walk,” marveling at the power a simple walk can have, helping one stay connected to the physical world, find beauty in unexpected places, and engage in community. She also paid tribute to departing Head of Upper School Maria Nunes. Reflecting on her own seven-year tenure at Packer, Nunes advised the Class of 2026 to embrace the uncertainty of life's transitions with openness to growth, curiosity, and community.
 

 

The ceremony was punctuated with three moving musical performances, with Azu Cohen and Zade Markel delivering their rendition of Oblivions by The National, and Olivia Fralin, Thalassa Vournas, and Zade singing Home by Phillip Phillips. 

 

Carmelo Savino and Daniel Lopez-Martinez closed out the program with their spirited version of Someday by The Strokes.
 

After the ceremony, graduates and their guests enjoyed refreshments and goodbyes in the Packer Garden. 
 

 

 

 

Enjoy excerpts from each of the Commencement speeches below:
 

I want to offer you one more recommendation. It’s simple: Walk. Yes, I said you should walk, as much as you can. It’s free! And AI-proof! As New Yorkers, we walk a lot. Mostly out of necessity. And yet, walking is great for so many reasons…

The world is filled with wonder in the most improbable and unusual places. Whether you are in the woods or just going to the bodega to pick something up, you can encounter something remarkable, curious, funny, worrying. Glimpses into other lives. Small moments of tragedy and beauty. Wandering reminds us of the interconnectedness of the world. Through it, we discover meaning and find answers more profound than any chatbot can offer.

DR. JENNIFER WEYBURN
HEAD OF SCHOOL
 

When I walk down the hallways of Packer, I see Ms. Cibrano, my pre-K music teacher. She still greets me with a smile. I see Patrick, Santiago, and Jorge, all maintenance workers who reminisce about how they used to let me play with their walkie-talkies in the old Garden House. I see Hutton from the cafeteria, who brought us apple slices and goldfish during snack time in Lower School. These people are truly the heart and soul of Packer. I also see friends that I made as a little kid, as a middle schooler, and in the last four years. All of these bonds are special, and I know that they will last a lifetime.

Henry Solmo-Brewer 
SENIOR SPEAKER
 

Next year, the halls of Packer won’t be the same. The vibrant, beautiful energy you brought into our lives every single day will move on to brighter, bigger stages. And while my heart aches at the thought of your absence, it swells with an insurmountable pride for where you are going.

You see, being your dean hasn’t just been a job. It has been the great privilege of my life. I have watched you fall and find the grace to stand back up. I have watched you support one another when the weight of the world felt too heavy. I have treasured the quiet moments of kindness you didn't think anyone was noticing—the quick, reassuring glances across the room when you knew someone was going through a hard time, the hugs of relief exchanged right after a tough test, and how you genuinely celebrated each other's victories as if they were your own.

Loretta Owens 
Dean of the Class of 2026

 

Give yourself permission to be unfinished. Allow yourself to grow. Allow yourself to change your mind—to take a path that turns out not to be the right one and then choose another. Some of the most important lessons you will learn about yourself will come not from certainty but from exploration. 

What matters is not that you have every answer today. What’s important is that you remain attentive to what matters most to you and are willing to keep learning. A meaningful life is not built by having every step planned in advance. It is built through curiosity, reflection, courage and a willingness to keep growing. 

Maria Valentina Nunes 
Upper School Division Head