Commitment on Full Display at the 2026 Ivy Address

Brewster's 2026 Ivy Address took place Friday, May 22, the day before Commencement, in Anderson Hall. Head of School Kristy Kerin opened the ceremony before an audience of Class of 2026 graduates, their families and friends, faculty and staff, and juniors invited to remain on campus for Commencement Weekend.

"The Ivy Address is one of Brewster's longstanding traditions," Ms. Kerin began. "It offers us a moment to arrive, both physically and mentally. After the busyness of the past few weeks and the travel required to bring family and friends together, this ceremony gives us the opportunity to pause, settle in, and focus our full attention on the graduates we are here to honor."

Kerin reflected on the theme that had shaped the entire school year: commitment. Not simply showing up, she noted, but the decision to stay engaged when the work is hard, to support one another, and to invest in something larger than yourself. She pointed to the class's final weeks as evidence, from a Senior Class Trip weathered with positivity through rain and cold, to a Prom that felt less like isolated friend groups and more like a unified class choosing to be fully present with each other.

Academic Dean Matt Butcher, serving as Master of Ceremonies, spoke to the significance of ivy: its place in Druidic and Irish tradition as a symbol of strength and remembrance, and its resonance as a symbol of the way lives become intertwined. With that framing, the ceremony turned to the day's first speaker.

First PG Speech

Mr. Butcher introduced Airin Intaratat ’26, who earned the title of top postgraduate student with a 4.330 GPA, the highest possible at Brewster, while completing two college-level mathematics courses and receiving the Grace Murray Hopper Award at Moving Up Day for her work in technology, computer programming, and robotics. This August, Airin will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Airin opened with her path to Brewster: a middle-income kid in Thailand who dreamed of studying in the United States, earned one of fewer than ten annual King's Scholarships, and was assigned one more year at a boarding school before college began. That school was Brewster. The first half of fall was hard. But slowly, without her noticing, things changed. Friends appeared in class, in the robotics lab, on the water, and at the dining table.

She singled out her advisor, Mr. Henderson, whose character reminded her of her father and who helped cure her homesickness without either of them realizing it. "Without him, I would never have woken up at 5:30 in the morning for a run. I would never have joined the crew team. And I would never have discovered how deeply passionate I am about neuroscience and psychology."

She closed with a charge to her classmates. "Whatever your accomplishments are, hold onto them. And hold onto the people who helped you get there."

Salutatorian Speech

Mr. Butcher introduced Marharyta Morozova ’26, who compiled a 4.235 GPA over four years, earned the Myrtle Dodge Award and Brown University Book Award in consecutive years, served as a Senior Class Leader, and was a constant presence at the Math Tutor Center. This fall, Margo will attend Smith College.

She opened with Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" and built her speech around the idea of choosing a path that is your own. "I think Brewster teaches us exactly how to do that," she said. "Here, everyone taking their own road is the norm, not the exception." She said if she had to name one takeaway from four years, it would be this: it is okay to disagree, and choosing your own road does not mean leaving your friends behind. "It is living your own life while walking alongside them."

She closed with a wish for her classmates: lead with compassion and empathy, carry the critical thinking Brewster gave you, and choose roads that are right for yourselves. "Let's give a round of applause to the people who made it all happen: our faculty, our families, our friends, and ourselves."

Following a moving performance of "Time of Your Life (Good Riddance)" by Green Day, performed by Hannah Ruegg, Evelyn Hafner, Rose Sheerin, and Lily Finklea and conducted by Mr. Jeremy Mathison, the ceremony moved to scholar and award recognition.

Scholar Program Presentations

The following students earned Global, Art, and STEM Scholar status and received special cords to wear at Commencement.

Arts Scholars: Caitlin Cliche, Evelyn Hafner, Hiro Onoguchi, Beck Rosenbaum, Hannah Ruegg, Katherine Twombly

Global Scholars: Caitlin Cliche, Reika Ueno

STEM Scholars: James Hatzos, Parth Miglani, Margo Morozova, Sophia Rock, Max Rusov

Award Presentations

Jonathan Dion and Harper Dolce received the Kate Turner Athletic Director's Awards, presented by Connor Wells to two students who made positive, consistent contributions to Interscholastic Sports. Jonathan, a lifer and eleven-season athlete, was recognized for his grit and selflessness across hockey, soccer, and lacrosse. Harper, also a four-year, eleven-season Bobcat, was honored for her contributions across field hockey, lacrosse, and Girls JV Hockey, a program she helped found, as well as her leadership of Morgan's Message mental health awareness efforts. "In my five years as Brewster's Athletic Director," Wells said, "there has been no student who has contributed more to Brewster Athletics than Harper Dolce."

Hannah Ruegg received the Fine and Performing Arts Award for her four years in the winter musical, her visual art, her work as Editor-in-Chief of literary magazine Outcroppings, and a creative presence that touched every corner of the community.

James Hatzos received the Lives of Purpose Graduate Award for founding a student-led Science Tutor Center, his community service leadership, and his approach to every contribution with humility, intention, and purpose.

Callie Pilkington received the Melissa Roja Lawlor Social Justice Award for her advocacy for neurodiversity and her ability to turn awareness into lasting, tangible inclusion.

Post-Graduate Certificate: Finn Holliday

Ms. Kerin recognized postgraduate student Finn Holliday, who made the decision to miss Commencement in order to join his crewmates in the boys' Varsity 2 boat at the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association regatta in Worcester, Massachusetts. Finn received his post-graduate certificate at the Ivy Address a day early. This fall, he will attend Skidmore College as a member of the men's crew team.

The Class Gift and Presentation of the Ivy

Senior Prefects Will Brochu ’26 and Luke Smolan ’26 presented the Class Gift for 2026: a Bobcat statue sculpted by Joe Gray of Joseph Gray Sculpture, crafted from New Hampshire granite and placed outside the Academic Building near Estabrook Dining Hall. The class also contributed personalized bricks to line the pathways of the new Reyes Family Courtyard. "As we return for our future reunions," the prefects shared, "we look forward to seeing our steady Bobcat statue and remembering our time together."

Mr. Butcher closed the ceremony as the ivy plant was accepted on behalf of the class. "It will be planted, along with the ivies of years past, so that it may grow and entwine, symbolic of the way our lives are forever connected."

Watch the event recording here.