John Stark graduates celebrate a new ‘starting point’

Gathered on the track field up the hill from the school, the large crowd of family and friends watched as the John Stark Regional High School graduates walked the track one last time before filing down the aisle to their seats.

“When I was younger, my parents would often take Batman to the store,” began Adam Bogle in his speech to his fellow graduates on Saturday.

“Each day, I wake up to make two people proud: Myself at six, and myself at 80,” said Bogle, who had been chosen by the John Stark High School faculty to be the Class of 2026’s student speaker.

“All we can do is try and make moments a little more exciting, so we can tell those stories when they’re gone,” he said, opening his blue gown to reveal the Batman logo beneath as he donned the Dark Knight’s mask.

Nolan Nelson’s friends and family have plenty of stories to share about him. On the autism spectrum, he competed in the 2023 Special Olympics Summer Games at UNH and won a silver medal in the running long jump, and a gold medal in both the mini javelin and the softball throw. His older brother, Jaden Nelson, is his coach.

A member of the school’s Best Buddies program, Nelson is “always smiling and always asking how somebody else is doing,” said Monique Nelson, his mother.

Eric Houle, who’s daughter also graduated, said that Nelson is “part of the family,” and that he “knows everyone.”

“Even in Boston, he knew people,” said Miley Houle, fellow graduate.

Nelson plans on attending the New Hampshire Technical Institute in the fall, and Houle will be going to Rivier University in Nashua as a biology major.

Lucas Arlen also plans on staying close to home, attending Colby-Sawyer College in New London in hopes of becoming a physical therapist or physician assistant.

“I play hockey. I like being physical. I like doing stuff. So it’s just a perfect match for me,” he said.

Like many graduates, what Arlen will miss the most about John Stark is his friends.

“I’ve known some of these guys since I moved here, in like, kindergarten,” he said. “I know a couple going to California, so I’m not close to them, so I’ll miss them a lot.”

Addressing his classmates, Valedictorian Wyatt Puza said “graduation is often treated like a finish line. But in reality, it’s more of a starting point. For most of our lives, the path in front of us has been relatively clear. … Now, for the first time, there isn’t one path, but thousands.”