South Shore students were among those recognized for athletic achievement, leadership and scholarship Saturday, May 16 as Boston College High School celebrated the graduation of nearly 280 seniors during its 162nd commencement ceremony.
In remarks to graduates, BC High President Grace Cotter Regan P’12 urged students to use the values developed during their time on Morrissey Boulevard to guide their next chapter.
“The challenge before you is clear — it’s your responsibility as graduates of BC High to go out and change the world, to serve, to lead, and to embody the values of your Jesuit formation,” Regan said during the ceremony.
Regan reflected on the role Jesuit education plays in preparing students to navigate a changing world shaped by technology, division and rapid social change.
“You are formed in the Ignatian tradition whose heads, hearts, and hands have been forged with competence, conscience, and compassion,” she said. “You are leaders who not only know the how but the why.”
Commencement speaker Vincent Rougeau, president of the College of the Holy Cross, spoke about the lasting connection between BC High and Jesuit education.
“We seek knowledge not for knowledge’s sake and excellence not for personal gain, but rather in pursuit of a more just and equitable world,” Rougeau said. “We believe in cura personalis, care for the whole person and in the dignity of all people.”
Rougeau also addressed the challenges facing the Class of 2026 as graduates enter adulthood during an era shaped by artificial intelligence and political polarization.
“It will be your generation that leads the way in harnessing the power of AI, holding it to account and shaping it for the good of humanity,” he said.
Student speaker Henry McConville, who will attend the University of Notre Dame in the fall, reflected on the support he received from the BC High community during an extreme time of family grief he experienced when he was in eighth grade. McConville said BC High became a place that helped shape his life through friendship, service and mentorship.
“BC High has taught us how to show up when it counts in the big and small moments,” McConville said. “BC High has taught us how to respect one another and care about each other in a genuine way.”
In speaking directly to the students, Alison MacDonald, Vice President for Educational Strategy and Interim Principal, shared poignant remarks with the class. Reflecting on their charge as they leave BC High…“And the world now needs men who question. Men who push back. Men who have a sense of justice, who know right from wrong, who know how to turn to God in their moment of need, and who know how much they just don’t know. Being that kind of man is a gift - to all of us.”
The Class of 2026 will continue to colleges and universities across the country and abroad. According to school data, 99% of graduates plan to enroll in a four-year college or university, while more than 18% committed to Jesuit institutions.
Boston College led the list of destinations with 17 enrolled students, followed by the College of the Holy Cross with 13.
School officials also noted that more than 27 student-athletes from the class committed to compete at the collegiate level.
Graduates from communities including Hingham, Scituate, Plymouth, Cohasset and Kingston received some of the school’s top athletic honors during another ceremony at the newly renovated McNeice Pavilion.
Max Ryan of Kingston earned the Ted Lyons Scholar Athlete Award, the highest award for athletics and academics. recognizes a senior who demonstrates excellence both academically and athletically.
Matthew Thorley of Hingham, a member of the wrestling program, received the Thomas Murphy Sportsmanship Award. The award recognizes “the senior athlete who did the most to promote fellowship and sportsmanship among his fellow athletes.”
Murphy Belvin of Scituate, a lacrosse player, earned the Jon Bartlett ’87 Athletic Pillars Award, which honors a student-athlete who exemplifies hard work, humility, teamwork and respect both on and off the field.
Jake Isa of Plymouth, who competed in football and baseball, and Timmy O'Keefe of Cohasset, who competed in baseball, received the Strength and Conditioning Award, presented to athletes whose dedication and work ethic in the weight room serve as an example for teammates.
Wyatt Averett of Hingham won the Veterans Service Award. This award is presented by the BC High Veterans Alumni Network to the graduating senior who has most embodied the Jesuit concept of service.
Boston College High School Graduates, Class of 2026
‡ Denotes Academic Honors
§ Denotes National Honor Society
Abington
● Nick Kane ‡
Cohasset
● Adam Bushley ‡
● Sam Bushley § ‡
● Matt Ivimey ‡
● Connor MacLeod
● Timothy O’Keefe § ‡
● Lukas Stefan § ‡
● Evan Welsh
Duxbury
● Austin Couto § ‡
● Artem Pagliuca § ‡
● Jay Sherwood
Hanover
● Chris Delaney
● Quinn Desharnais § ‡
● Brendan Sprague
● Jamie Tierney § ‡
Hingham
● Jacob Adams § ‡
● Wyatt Averett § ‡
● Brody Beale ‡
● Clayton Bellows § ‡
● Patrick Blackwell § ‡
● Nick Bodner
● Max Bohane ‡
● Finn Brown ‡
● Jack Casey § ‡
● Charlie Clair ‡
● David Leahy
● Drew MacDonald ‡
● Theo Martell § ‡
● Jack Morgan § ‡
● Christopher Murphy § ‡
● Brandon Oliwa § ‡
● Trent Richards
● Matt Thorley § ‡
● Justin Yu ‡
Kingston
● Zach Khan § ‡
● Max Ryan ‡
● Kayden Shaughnessy ‡
Marshfield
● Jack Arendt ‡
● Evan Concannon § ‡
● Harry Hartwell ‡
● Charlie Lodemore ‡
● Jake Loverin ‡
● Thomas Rice ‡
● Michael Roosevelt § ‡
● Joseph Russo ‡
● Josh Solomita § ‡, Top 10
● Matt Valentine
Norwell
● TJ Emsing § ‡
● Kyle Hotarek ‡
● William Sim § ‡
Pembroke
● Owen McNamara
● Brady Sheehan ‡
Plymouth
● Jake Isa § ‡
● Jack Knight § ‡
Scituate
● Murphy Belvin § ‡
● Ben Best
● Miles Diab ‡
● John Dillon ‡
● Patrick Geary ‡
● Gerhardt Hoover § ‡
● Jack Jacobus
● Matt May ‡
● Ryan Murray § ‡
● Drew VanderMeulen ‡
● Cam Witkos § ‡