SOUTH HADLEY — It is curtain call for the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Class of 2026.

The 61 graduates took their final bows on the stage of the Academy of Music on Thursday to the roaring applause of their biggest fans — teachers, family and friends. But unlike the encores of their high school performances, this is not just a finale. It’s the beginning of the greatest show: the rest of their lives.

“I can only hope that you all, as my peers, will keep your passions a part of your life, even if you don’t pursue them professionally,” Sonny Raymond said. “Each day that you make art is a day where you discover something beautiful about yourself and the world we live in.”

These graduates are living through one of the most politically divisive times in our country, Head of School Brent Nielson said. They first arrived at PVPA in masks, learning about their craft at least 6 feet apart from one another. Six years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the schisms have only deepened and the introduction of generative artificial intelligence has increased hostility toward artists. Faced with these challenges, Nielson acknowledges the courage of this class to build connections.

Each year, the class transformed the PVPA theater into an intimate jazz cafe to raise money for their class. The graduates not only organized one of the most successful student-led fundraisers for the school, but also united people through music, food and joy.

“Your goal was to raise money for your class, but what you accomplished was magical. You brought our community together, not to argue about something, but to witness your accomplishments,” Nielson said.

The community is especially strong within the class itself. Just before Gianna Rodriguez’s senior year, she transferred from an International Baccalaureate school without any arts offerings to pursue her aspiration of acting. Despite joining the class later than most, Rodriguez felt kinship almost immediately.

“I haven’t been here long, but I feel really connected with everyone here,” Rodriguez said.

Unlike Rodriguez, Tamera Crump began at PVPA in seventh grade as a dance student. She loved the best-of-both-worlds approach of the charter arts school, and plans to continue both her academics and art as an economics student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Not only did Crump commemorate her accomplishments over the past six years with the rest of her friends, but she also celebrated her birthday in her graduation gown.

“It’s exciting that I’m here with everyone,” Crump said.

Their arts education has uniquely prepared this class to fight injustice. Artists have always been at the forefront of social justice movements, President of the PVPA Board of Trustees Latrina Denson said. Generation Z has embraced diversity and equity far more than her own generation, and Denson hopes this class will continue to use their skills to uplift marginalized voices.

“I challenge you to carry that PVPA fire with you into every room you walk into next,” she said. “Use your voices, use your canvases, use your stages and use your intellect to fiercely fight for equality, disrupt the spaces that choose comfort over inclusion, and use your talent to amplify the stories of those who have been marginalized or pushed to the margins.”

Students cultivated this value in the very halls of PVPA. Kayla Saintilma, a theater student who received a scholarship to study theater at Holyoke Community College, said that PVPA staff embraced non-traditional casting, allowing her to take risks in unique roles.

“The teachers are inclusive with casting, which can be hard to find, especially as a person of color,” Saintilma said.

Dancers Lila Appling and Alex Varela-Girouard said their dance education explored the rich culture and history of the art form, which is often excluded at a typical dance studio. Varela-Girouard was part of Wofa, the West African drum and dance company at PVPA. Appling later took the stage with the Catalyst Dance company to perform “The Summer’s End,” a contemporary dance about growth, friendship and goodbyes.

“There’s no words to describe how amazing it was to learn and dance with this company,” she said.

Other performances broke up the pomp and circumstance of graduation. Two seniors acted out the famous battle of wits scene from “The Princess Bride.” Staff and student musicians serenaded the audience with a rendition of James Taylor’s “Long Ago and Far Away” in three-part harmony. In their final performance, the class of 2026 sang “The Dog Days Are Over” by Florence and the Machine.

“It’s such a privilege to integrate the arts and your passion into your daily routine,” Kaiulani Fisher said. “My friends at other schools have to find this somewhere else … and we got it all for free.”

The Class of 2026 graduates include: Addison Grace Dupont, Adeline Forbes, Alexander Bessette, Alex Solis, Alexander Varela-Girouard, Alaya Daigh Smith, Alyssa Burgos, Amari Whitebear, Andrew Brown, Aria Grisanti-Bizzell, Ashton Roberts, Benjamin Collins, Callie Shear, Cassian Mason, Charles Mitkowski, Charlotte Powell, Christopher Goodsell, Connor Fleming, Dainelys Carrion Huertas, Dylan Kelting-Massaro, Emma Hadlock, Eva Veras, Gabrielle Whitley, Gianna Rodriguez, Jakob Riley, Jay Rhodes, Jayvien Colon

Joileys Classen, Jonah Stevens, Joziah Enriquez-Rodriguez, Jynx Minor, Kaiulani Lynda Rose Rufo Fisher, Karina Sophia Guzman, Kayla Jane Saintilma, Lacy Coolong, Leah Cox, Liana Mead, Lila Appling, Luke LaPlante, Makhi Bell, Maxine Hathaway, Milahni Lawrence, Mimi Reilly, Moraima Silva, Mose Lieberman-Bachman, Mya Churchill, Natalia Brewer, Nina Geary, Rowan Piris, Sammie Noska, Sianna Sgroi, Sonny Raymond, Sophie Laughran, Sophie Malzone, Tamera Reneé Everlyn Crump, Taylor Glenn Santos, Trevor Lupica, Tyler Scott, Vienna Meyer, Vincent Schmitt, Zion Wilkins.