HONESDALE, PA — With pomp, circumstance and heartfelt emotion, the 2026 graduating class of Honesdale High School took its final steps together as a student body.
The class president, salutatorian and valedictorian made speeches honoring the group’s past, present and future, respectively.
Class president Othe Lohse thanked family and friends, teachers and faculty in “Remembering the Past,” and reminisced on how the experiences the class had had had shaped them. Lohse will attend the University of Scranton after graduation.
“It may be hard to see now, but we will come to understand how important these years were in shaping our perspective and character,” Lohse said.
He added, “While some of us will continue to be in each other’s lives, it is inevitable that we will never see some of these faces again. So, look back fondly on our time together; we were fortunate to have one another.”
Salutatorian Lily Head talked in “Embracing the Present” about both the excitement and the worry that comes with contemplating such a significant change as graduation. Head will go on to study marine and environmental biology and policy and Monmouth University.
“We will be starting a new school or a new job, planning for future classes or future careers and wondering whether we are truly good enough to succeed,” said Head. “And this worry we have experienced, and are experiencing, is real. Some nights, it seemed that no matter how hard we tried, success would be impossible.”
The days of worry caused students to miss wonderful moments in life, like sunsets and conversations with family, Head said. “Because of our preoccupation with our troubles, we missed out on some wonderful moments.”

“In our lives, we may be petrified by the future or ashamed by the past,” she said. “Instead, let us be enamored by the present.”
Valedictorian Owen Pender, in “Looking toward the Future,” talked about the hard work and perseverance, as well as the support, that had led to the present moment. Pender will attend the University of Scranton, studying secondary mathematics education.
“I know that everyone on the stage tonight has an extremely bright future,” Pender said. “But I also know that we will all go through challenging times on our way to that future.”
Pender offered tips for when students faced those challenges, encouraging them to develop their own personal identities. He had centered his identity around sports from a young age, he said, aiming to be an NBA basketball player. After tearing his ACL, he felt lost, he said—until it was revealed to him that his identity was in being a child of God, rather than something tied up in his success or failure on the court.
“At the end of the day, we all have strengths and weaknesses [that] make us who we are,” he said. “Therefore, I encourage you all to seek your identity and fulfill your purpose. Find your strengths; remember who you are and why you keep going.”
Timothy Morgan, superintendent of the Wayne Highlands School District, congratulated graduates on their achievement.
“Graduates, tonight you will receive a diploma, but more importantly, you will leave here with something far more valuable: a story,” he said. “A story filled with challenges overcome, lessons learned, friendships formed and dreams still waiting to be realized.”
Morgan said graduates are entering a rapidly changing world, one that includes uncertainty. However, he said, there were certain certain truths. “You will encounter challenges and disappointment. You will face situations that are unfair. And sometimes, despite all of your efforts, you will fail.”
The challenges and circumstances students would face in life ensured the path between successes was not a straight line, he said. However, “your future is not determined by your circumstances,” he said. “Rather, your future is determined by how you respond to those circumstances.”