The 2026 Southold Junior-Senior High School senior class turned its tassels and tossed its caps into the air Saturday afternoon, trading the familiarity of high school for the uncertainty — and excitement — of whatever comes next.

The ceremony mixed humor with heartfelt advice as student speakers reflected on the journey that brought them to graduation and school leaders encouraged the Class of 2026 to embrace the future ahead.

Salutatorian Nathan Steinfeld, who plans to attend Vanderbilt University and pursue a career in comedy and filmmaking, had classmates, teachers and families laughing throughout his address.

“I once emailed an assignment at 2:58 a.m. to one of my teachers and he replied at 3:11 a.m. saying, ‘Got it, thanks,’” Nathan quipped. “The next day, he asked me why I was up at 2:58 in the morning. I replied, ‘Why were you up at 3:11 in the morning?’”

The light-hearted speech continued as Nathan also poked fun at his academic standing.

“Second place is the first loser, so technically I’m first at something,” he said, referring to earning the title of salutatorian.

The jokes gave way to a more serious conclusion as Nathan closed with a quote from the speech delivered by coach Herb Brooks before the United States men’s hockey team’s historic upset over the Soviet Union in Miracle, urging his classmates to believe in themselves as they begin the next chapter. He likened the graduating class to a hockey team, calling on them to trust one another and rise to the moment.

Valedictorian Elizabeth Estrada reminded graduates that while their high school education had come to an end, their pursuit of knowledge should not.

“Today is not the end of our education,” Elizabeth said. “It’s an invitation to continue learning. Let’s never become too busy or too indifferent to ask questions. And let’s never feel we’re too grown up to experience wonder again. One question a day, and remembering the answer, can change how you move through life and the relationships you form with those around you.”

Photos by Nick Mongiovi

Superintendent Dr. Anthony Mauro reinforced that message by reminding graduates that success is often built on failure. He pointed to Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Ty Cobb, whose .366 career batting average still meant he failed to record a hit nearly two-thirds of the time he stepped to the plate.

“Ty Cobb batted .366 for his career,” Dr. Mauro said. “That means almost two-thirds of the time he came to the plate, he got out. What he did do was continue to move forward. Never be afraid of failure. Embrace it, learn from it, let it motivate you and work harder to move forward in life.”

Dr. Mauro also reminded graduates that there is no single roadmap to success.

“You may know precisely what you want to do for the rest of your life, or you may try many different things before you find your true calling,” he said. “All of these paths are good paths. … No matter what you choose, you will encounter hardships. There is great strength in knowing what you need help with and asking for it. … Don’t ever think you can go without the support and love of the people who care about you.”

As the ceremony concluded and the graduates celebrated with family and friends, the Class of 2026 left Southold High School with diplomas in hand and a common message echoing from the stage: keep learning, embrace failure and never stop believing in what comes next.

The post Southold graduates urged to keep learning, embrace failure appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

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