From an aspiring athlete to an aspiring airplane mechanic, 22 students graduated from the Menands School on June 25 and soared into a future filled with possibilities.
During a tradition-filled ceremony, the rising high school students reflected on their time in the K-8 school district and pondered with anticipation of their future endeavors.
The ceremony marked a hard finish to an education career spent for many of them in a small school setting and the beginning of an education that will be delivered in larger schools and universities.
“For many of us, this school has been more than just a school. It’s been a place where we grew up together. Some of us have known each other for years, and we’ve shared so many experiences that it’s hard to imagine that this chapter is actually coming to an end,” graduate Alaa Omer Elhag said.
Classmate Anudharshana Kannan only moved to the school four years ago, yet he developed fond memories and learned valuable lessons in Menands.
“If middle school taught us anything, it’s to be resilient and to adapt to our 
classes. We know how to learn from our mistakes. Let’s take the lessons we learned here and use them to build our futures. Let’s stay curious, keep being kind to one another and never stop trying, even when things get hard. We arrived here as kids, but we are leaving here today ready to take on the world,” Kannan said.
Jaelani King spent his entire elementary and middle school career in Menands.
“It will forever hold a special place in my heart,” he said. “It helped me become exactly who I am today. It put me through many experiences I had to learn from, and these experiences allowed me to learn myself as well. This year was difficult. I’ll admit it. I received my first A on a science test a couple weeks ago. Yes, it took a while, but I got it, right? What I’m trying to say is that we all struggled in many different ways but that doesn’t mean we didn’t thrive as well.”
The graduates are largely pursuing their academic endeavors in four area school districts—North Colonie, South Colonie, Watervliet and Tech Valley High School, but some are expanding their boundaries globally.
The eighth-grade students completed a rigorous academic routine at Menands that provided many of them with advanced academic courses in a small school setting.
“We are extremely proud of the work you have done and the value they have added to the greater Menands School community,” said Superintendent Jennifer Cannavo.
The Menands Class of 2026 is as follows:
- Evie Blanchette
- Arianna Buskey
- Dasia’Nashae Dowdell,
- Mohamed Elhadi
- Alaa Omer Elhag
- Rachan Gowda
- Naomi Green
- Cirai Haynes
- Jason James
- Anudharshana Kannan
- Jaelani King
- Mateak Lewis
- Connor Looman
- Avi Lopez
- Eden McNamara
- Andy Ouedraogo
- Rakei Perez-Pearson
- Aaric Ronand
- Pierre Seraphin
- Ishaq Syed
- Aisha Sylla
- Jesai WaNzambi