Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mario Andrade congratulates one of the graduates. Courtesy photo/Nashua High School North

NASHUA – During his four years at Nashua High School North, Adam Garcia never joined a club, ran for class president or took an Advanced Placement class.

“I didn’t really start taking school seriously until later on,” he said as this year’s student speaker during the June 10 graduation ceremony at Stellos Stadium. “At first, I was just kind of there, showing up, doing just enough to get by.”

As a result, Garcia acknowledged that he has made his share of mistakes. However, he eventually learned not to be discouraged. There was nothing he could do to right the wrongs of the past. Nothing except learn and move forward. Needless to say, he and his classmates are not the same kids who walked into Nashua North in the fall of 2022.

“We all share something in common; we watched each other grow. We watched each other become different versions of ourselves,” said Garcia. “The truth is every single person sitting here tonight fought battles that most people never saw.”

Garcia also recognized the times of unity and the common struggles.

Members of the Class of 2026 throw their mortarboards in the air as they graduate from Nashua High School North on June 10. Courtesy photo/Nashua High School North

“The stress of deadlines, trying to convince ourselves we would definitely start the assignment before 11:59 p.m. on a Sunday, the weeks of senioritis or for some of us, months where doing anything other than schoolwork sounded more important,” he said.

Yet, they still made it to the finish line.

“I think that is what makes graduation emotional. because at some point, without even realizing it, we experienced our last everything,” he said. “Now, suddenly, we are here, the moment we talked about for years.”

What lies ahead is the uncertainty of adulthood.

“For the first time in our lives, there is no clear guideline,” said Garcia. “Some of us are going to college, some are going straight into work, some are learning trades, joining the military or starting businesses.”

He also said some of his classmates are still figuring out what comes next and he assured them that there’s no shame in that.

“Success looks different for everybody,” he said. “There is so much pressure at our age to have our entire lives figured out already, but the truth is, most people don’t and that’s completely normal.”

Looking ahead, Garcia urged his classmates to push themselves to be better than “who we were yesterday.”

“We just have to keep moving forward, keep learning and keep showing up for ourselves,” he said.

Principal Nathan Burns spoke about changes such as the state’s new law banning cell phones in the classroom.

“At first, I think many of you thought it might be the end of the world,” he said. “Some of you may have even had to — actually make eye contact with people.”

As a result of the new law, Burns said he began to notice other changes.

“The cafeteria got louder, you began talking to each other again,” said Burns. “Classroom discussions became more engaging. There was more laughter, more energy and more connection than we’ve seen in years.”

Another change was the addition of the school’s Winter Carnival and reinforcing the idea that high school is more than just grades, tests, homework and stress.

“I’ve been asked many times why the administration agreed to let students try to dunk the admin team during lunches,” said Burns. “The answer is simple, because school should be fun.”

He also called attention to author Simon Sinek, who once said: “One hundred percent of customers are people. One hundred percent of employees are people. If you don’t understand people, you don’t understand business.”

Burns said the same holds true for life.

“Success will always come down to how you treat people, how you connect with others and how you make people feel,” he said. “You have shown kindness, resilience, school pride, and the ability to adapt to change.”