Malden High School will hold 182nd Commencement ceremony on Sunday for Class of 2026

Just over 400 members of this year’s Senior Class will be awarded diplomas at Macdonald Stadium

By Steve Freker

This Sunday, June 7, Malden High School will recognize and honor the just over 400 members of the Class of 2026 at its 182nd annual Commencement Exercises. Graduates, families and friends will gather at Macdonald Stadium (15 Pearl St.) for the 2:00 p.m. ceremony with much “pomp” and lots of “circumstance” as Malden High’s newest “alumni-to-be” are welcomed into the ranks of graduates. This year’s MHS Class of 2026 has a vibrant collection of successful and talented students with success in many areas, including academics, social activism, athletics and the arts.

“This Malden High School Class of 2026 has proven itself to be a hardworking and resilient group,” said Malden High School Principal Chris Mastrangelo, who will be presiding over his 9th MHS Commencement Exercises. “We have no doubt this will be a group of highly successful graduates.”

Mastrangelo will be joined by Mayor and School Committee Chairperson Gary Christenson, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Timothy Sippel, members of the School Committee and other city and state dignitaries.

Graduation Day marks the end of a jam-packed Senior Week of activities, which kicked off last week with Senior Prom on May 29 and National Honor Society Induction on May 28. Major Senior Class activities continued this week with Senior Scholarship Night on Tuesday and the annual Senior Cookout in the Malden High School Courtyard yesterday afternoon. Members of the Senior Class of 2026 also received their personal copies of the Malden High yearbook, “The Maldonian,” and spent some time having their classmates and other members of the school community write personal messages.

At Senior Scholarship Night, over 100 members of the Class of 2026 received a school record-high monetary amount in scholarship awards totaling over $135,000. An additional $50,000 in scholarship awards from Malden High School Scholarship Inc. will be announced at Sunday’s Commencement as well by alumni representative Greg Lucey.

This year’s class speakers include some remarkable students, with #1-ranked Class of 2026 senior Kelly Ye serving as Valedictorian. She is headed to MIT in the fall. Lincoln Boswell is the #2-ranked MHS Class of 2026 senior class and will deliver the Salutatorian address. Boswell, who happens to be one of three Boswell triplets receiving diplomas Sunday, will attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in New York this fall. The #3-ranked senior is Thomas Conti and he will speak as Class Orator. Conti is headed to Harvard University. Also addressing her fellow graduates and the large audience expected to be on hand will be Senior Class President Linh Do.

Some special performances at Sunday’s Commencement will be provided by the MHS Choral Arts Society, under the direction of Todd Cole, and the MHS Band, directed by Lauren Foley.

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Parking is limited, use of public transportation is advised

Parking is limited in the neighborhood around Macdonald Stadium, and those attending are urged to arrive early and also to consider alternative means of transportation, such as public transportation, as the stadium is located directly adjacent to the Malden Center MBTA Orange Line Station, which is also a public bus hub.

There is a rain date, Monday, June 8 at 4:00 p.m., should the need arise. At present, the weather forecast is sketchy for the big day on Sunday, with an 80% chance and potential late afternoon showers and thunderstorms.