By Avery Bridson and Emily Davis, ‘27

News Editor and Entertainment Editor

The Class of 2026 found community, friendship, and personal growth in many different places throughout their time at Hanover High School. While many participated in a wide range of activities, a common theme connected nearly every student response to The Hawk senior survey: the people they met and the relationships they built made their high school experience meaningful. Whether it was through sports teams, music programs, clubs, or favorite classes, seniors reflected on the sense of belonging they found at HHS. 

Sports 

Football was a major highlight for Brandon Errico and Patrick Leary, who felt the team was like a family. Peter Clarke and Sebastian Brown also loved football for the friends they made on the field. Alongside the football team, Ava Khouri had an unforgettable experience as a cheerleader, especially during the Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium. Addison Hall, Camryn Carthas, and Gavin Russell thanked their coaches and teammates for the memories and friendships they made on the soccer teams. Hockey was a meaningful experience for Cam Melone, Heather McGinnis, Henry Phillips, and Vanessa Federico, who credited her coach for making the team a success. Katie Jones and Ava Puglia loved playing field hockey with friends, while Tyler McDonough and Noah Marshall-Pelayo will never forget playing for the rugby team. Dean Gomes created indelible memories on the swim team, as Ryan Mutschler did with both his teammates and coaches on the basketball team. Brendan Meagher and Leo Galvin especially appreciated the cross country team experience, and Ben Willis and Joe Lynch found community through track. Dylan Poirier and Tess Madden agreed that the bonds they made on the volleyball team will have a lasting effect on their lives. 

Classes

For Ellie Mann, Maddy Hiffa, Sienna Lamond, and Brianna Adams, VOX was not just a class but a valuable community where everyone could grow. Similarly, the band was the highlight for Aine Scanlan. Maddy Hiffa also cited AP Art. Bryan Collins and Joey DaCosta found Sports and Society with Mr. Molloy the most interesting, while Daniel Klos loved gym. Morgan Curtis enjoyed environmental science, especially Ms. McHenry’s class junior year, while Madison Paulicelli echoed that and added marine science as a favorite. Matthew Bell loved Mrs. Molloy’s chemistry class, while Aine Scanlan found biology the most enjoyable. AP Psychology was dubbed the most interesting class by both Mikayla Sheehan and Juliana Minasi. Damaris Mejia-Miller looked forward to Spanish class every day, while Bradlee Dowling eagerly anticipated the new challenges brought in AP English Language. US History 2 Honors was an important yet fun class for Elin Brink, and Maddie Fuller cited AP US History as a class she most looked forward to attending. For Colin MacPherson and Matthew Yan, the opportunities in engineering class outweighed all the rest. 

Clubs

Sienna Lamond found that DECA gave her the skills and confidence she needed to be prepared for the future. Similarly, Bradlee Dowling discovered an opportunity to find his voice and hone his skills as the captain of the Debate Club. Bella Reed prepared for the future with Career Club, which she ran alongside her friend. Emma Ryan found the Yearbook Club to be a source of community and creativity. Fiona Monahan and Bronwyn Doherty loved expressing themselves with their friends in the Art Club.

Together, the reflections from the Class of 2026 show that HHS was much more than academics or extracurriculars. For many students, the most important part of high school was the friendships they formed, the communities they became a part of, and the memories they created with the people around them.