Celebrate, reflect: Northampton High School says goodbye to 226 graduates on Sunday

NORTHAMPTON — Speaking before a packed auditorium of parents, teachers and her fellow high school graduates, Giselle Ohm succinctly summed up the complicated feelings many Northampton High School students experience when they leave home to begin the next stage of their lives.

“I am over Northampton, and yet I’m scared to let it go,” said Ohm, a member of the school’s student union and selected by the Class of 2025 to speak at their graduation ceremony. “Moving away from this environment will be a culture shock for everyone.”

Ohm was one of 226 students who received their diploma Sunday at the John M. Greene Hall at Smith College. It was a ceremony filled with the usual pomp and circumstance, with musical performances by Northampton High School Wind Ensemble and school a cappella group The Northamptones.

But Ohm also struck a more serious tone in her address during the ceremony, taking the opportunity to call out some of the shortcomings of Northampton’s progressive image. Ohm cited her own experiences growing up as an Asian American in a predominantly white city.

“I have been called the name of every other Asian girl in my grade, and I believe that each one of us can say the same thing,” she said. “Students of color are less inclined to bring up our experiences with racism because we’re told it cannot exist in a place like Northampton.”

But while Ohm, who plans to study in Los Angeles following graduation, said she couldn’t wait to leave Northampton, she acknowledged the city’s community believed in “transformation and pioneering,” and urged the class to bring that spirit with them as they ventured forth into the world.

“Using Northampton’s strengths, its quirks and its flaws, we can transform any space we enter,” Ohm said. “I hope that as we all go out on our own paths, we pause to remember that we can learn so much just by listening to one another, by having tough conversations.”

Ella Hendricks, the co-president of the senior class, told her classmates to be committed to their values in a world of political tension, referencing recent attacks on various universities by the administration of President Donald Trump and recent campus protests over the war in Gaza.

“When the world tells us silently to go along, it is our job to remain rooted in what we believe,” Hendricks said. “When academic freedoms are threatened and institutions disguise complacency as neutrality, it is our job to refuse to become complacent.”

Several other students in the graduating class spoke to the Gazette about their plans following graduation. Avery Nakashian, like Ohm, plans to move across the country and will begin this fall as a freshman at the University of California Santa Barbara.

“The campus was beautiful, and it felt like the right fit for me,” Nakashian said. “I’ll just be hanging out with my friends and family this summer and then going there and living it up in the California sun.”

Others plan to study a little closer to home, like Penelope Mahan, who will study at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston.

“I’m going to art school with the hopes to work in art therapy for children with special needs,” Mahan said. “It’s just something that’s personal to me.”

Some spoke of big ambition after graduating. Keller Mahoney, who will study at Colorado College, didn’t shy away about stating his goals.

“Probably married in a year and living in the suburbs, with a kid on the way in three,” he said. “I’ve convinced myself I’m living the American dream.”

Others sought a more gradual approach to their next steps, with Henry Lawrence planning on studying at Holyoke Community College due to its free admission and plans on working at the Iron Horse Music Hall in downtown Northampton.

“I can just stack a bunch of cash and keep working,” he said. “I want to go [to school] for free so I can try to figure out what I want to do in the future.”

2025 Graduates

Kyle David Ackerman, Frankie Alexis Adams-Sternal, Leo August Vignaux Adelmann, Jacoby Timothy Allard, Dorian Charles Gutterman Almeida, Alexis Alvira Cruz, Kai Thomas Anderson-Flynn, Mae Arnold, Sihe Xie Austin, Ella Cortez Baker-Dekater, Jeremy Lamar Baker-Paquette, Brett Michael Baranowski, Casey Patton Barber, Ian Russell Griffin Barnhart, Noah Bowdan Barondes, Mekdes Mikaela Benjamin, Rose Miriam Bennett, Maya Elisabeth Berman-Lagier, Nicholas John Biddle, Fiona Anne Hackett Blackburn, Ezra Rose Blanco, Tovah Dinah Boucher, Miguel Martin Bracewell, Ryland Kasperowski Breen, Camilla June Brewer, Charlie Elijah Bridges, Jordan Mateo Lopez Brow, Morgan Brown-McNeil, Syed Haseeb Yasir Bukhari, Allyson Marka Busone, Gordon Bennington Cahill, Imaris Anayla Carmona-Lopez, Jack Michael Carpenter, Talula Danny Carrico, Liam Donald Case, Panharith Seth Chea, Sindi Jazmin Chogllo, Paige Altwarg Clough, Viva Cohen, Briana Thais Morgan Collazo, Ruby J Corriveau-Roche, Isadora Marie Cote-L’Heureux, Aubree Jean DaCosta, Gavin Charles Darling, Holden Teague Day Davidson, Madeline Gail Dawkins, Mikaelyn Ryleigh DeFranco, Meah Marshall Dellert, Lan Mae Detenber, James deVelder, Inez Sojourner Leila Dole, Emeline Ruth Anne Dolinger, Soren Dunaway, Reagan Jean Dunphy, Aiyana Eshe Mary-Charlotte Dyami, Nolan Robert Earle, Allison Junnila Edmands, Travis Daniel Emerson, Zoe Ruth Engel, Henry James Fallon, Alexander Kent Farmer, Talya Rae Fishman, Christopher James Fowler, Reilly Grace Fowles, Kammy Violet French, Eden Orion Friedberg, Noah Bren Friedman-Krantz, Tashauna Marie Fay Fuquay, Asher Joseph Garretson, Tess Geis-Benton, Odessa Simone Gianesin, Emma Claude Gollis-Pedelaborde, Esteban Gonzalez Perez, Annika Estelle Greenbacher, Alice Russell Griffin, Lucy Cordeiro Grossman, Canyon Michael Grosso-Siebecker, Amalia Sophie Guerra, Calvin Jacob Guswa, Nona Connell Hadden, Coco Jacqueline Haenlin, Nightshade Lynn Hammer, Maxwell Peter Hartley, Samuel Owen Haynes, Brianna Catherine Heafey, Ella Hazelyn Hendricks, Elly Shapiro Hiranandani, Sara Adie Hoeckh, Miranda Ariana Clark Hunkins, Mallary Hunter, Jada Kayla Johnson, Jonah Woods Johnson, Oliver Thomas Johnson, Jack William Kamins, Eden Hallie Henny Kates, Rebecca Allison Kauschen, Cody Arthur Keel, Ava Lee Davies Keller, Maxwell Miller Gunnar Keller, Benjamin Killip-Leonard, Caeil Killip-Leonard, Dutcher Jerome Kimball, Eleanor Ann Kimball, Silas Anthony King, Sawyer Kirley, Silas Knight-Richard, Joshua Louis Kohl-Merrell, Anna Isabella Koller, Rhiannon Sage Kusleika, Jake Robert Kuzmeski, Anna Louise LaCroix, Sage Marie Lamanna, Henry Alan Lawrence, Aaron Joshua Lee, Eleanor Marie Lewis, Ivy Wilder Lovejoy, Jade Lucio-Levine, Maya Nicole Mackey, Penelope Mahan, Rosie Mahoney, Keller William Mahoney, Max Grand Marlin, Ash Lee Martinez, Harper Star Mathews, Story Jane Mathews, Teagan Kelly McDonald, Luke Bradley McGrath, Koby Michael McKamey, Mesfin McManamy, Jaiden Luke Meltzer, Brayan Josue Meza Rivera, Hunter W. Michalski, Alexis Lauren Michna, Blake Emmanuel Milton, Aaron James Moore, Lillian Rose Moore, Shahana Danielle Morris, Alya Jasmine Mourad, Avery Elizabeth Nakashian, Madeline Mina Nakashian, Tara Elizabeth Napolitano, Jada Somaly Ne, Finn Nelson-Sanger, Shamell Jaden-Malik Nichols, Zavyey Michael Nieves, Giselle Lisa Ohm, Maeve Meara O’Neil, Jackson Gregory Oravec, Elijah Isaiah Ortiz, Sebastian Alexander Pacheco Rubio, Matthew Eric Pagacz, Bailey Park, Sophia Anne Parrott, Durrell John Patrick, Max Alexander Pearson, Lily Rae Pelis, Amelia Marie Persaud, Luke John Pesce, Minti Ethan Everest Peterson, Naihmond Anthony Peters-Wolfe, Mollie Phou, Charlie Loveman Pierce, Kai James Pitre, Willa Isadora Claire Polin, Toby Shai Pruskin, Dylan Fenian Pyle, Olivia Noelle Quinn, Holly Claire Rasner, Jules June Rice, Cassidy Davis Richardson, Chloe Lucille Ritt, Christopher Rafael Rivera, Evalyn Danielle Rivera, Jayden Juelz Rivera, Leo Anton Rivera, Savannah Rae Rivera, Jeudid Daniel Rodriguez Hurtado, Lanaiya Carmen Rodriguez, Sasha Carleen Rodriguez, Warner Michael Rodriguez, Gabriela Aleida Ronquillo Dunn, Kala Marie Sabadosa, Jacqueline Francis Saccento, Rowan Sakrejda-Leavitt, August Ericson Santos, Jasper Benjamin Sargent, Luke Sasser, Ascher Kito Polins Savage, Gillian Genevieve Scharrer-Barker, Stella Tzipora Schmale, Charlie Scott, Emily Clare Scyocurka, Maayan Aviv Bromberg Seltzer, Jack Carter Sherman, Arianna Janette Silva-Fernandez, Gurjia Singh, Leo Isaac Singler, Evelyn Dorothy Smith, Oliver J. Smith, Klara Williams Sokop, Aiden James Sousa, Kadin Zo Sparkle, Morven Ishbel Stables, Brayden Wyatt Steele, Misha Cavallari Stewart, Sydney Lynne Sylvester, Jenna Gael Talbot, Mayla Syeda Tasneem, Axol Kuch Taub, Isaac Teig, Marina Hollis Thayer, Kai Therien, Nora Isabel Thomas, Michael William Tornow, Ethan Ellis Hurst Trotman, Vincent Armoni Valencia, Josh Reese Vinskey, Emmi Rae Warren, Lucia Adams Warton, Emilio Harry Weisman, Leo Alden Welch, D’Marion Jermaine Williams, Hazel Bailey Wilmeth, Austin Calder Woolf, Drake Christopher Yarborough, Aiden James Zera