Pictured above: Nine of the Top 10 graduates of the Rockville High School Class of 2026. Front row, left to right: Chloe Hazel, Tyler Matula, Iris Hida, Caroline Burg, Grace Johnson. Standing: Kyle Shalaev, Aidan Lang, Carson Dionne, Mary Christians. Sara Zamakhchari was not able to attend the event.

Rockville High School and the Vernon Public Schools honored the top 10 scholars of the class of 2026, which will graduate Thursday evening.

Nine of the 10 attended a special lunch on Wednesday and brought a long a teacher who had a special influence on them during their time in the Vernon Public Schools.

The annual Top 10 Lunch is a Rockville High School tradition that highlights students’ high academic achievement and the special role teachers play in students’ lives.

“You have worked hard the entire time you have been at Rockville,” Principal Jason Magao told the graduates. “You have set goals for yourselves. And I am so proud of you that you’ve reached and surpassed those goals.”

The Rockville High School Top 10 members of the Class of 2026 with the teachers they chose to honor. The students are seated and the teachers are standing behind them. Left to right: Carson Dionne and Tara Distasio, Chloe Hazel and Victoria Boyajian, Aidan Lang and Julie Lang, Kyle Shalaev and Regina Lee, Mary Christians and Jill Williams, Tyler Matula and Alex Sheldon, Iris Hida and Brian Forte, Caroline Burg and Chuck Martucci, and Grace Johnson and Jennifer Kasek.

“The community is so proud of what you do and we know going forward you’re going to represent Vernon-Rockville and continue to be a source of pride for this community,” added Board of Education Chairman Paul Grabowski. “The culture of hard work you learned here is going to carry with you as you go to the next level.”

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joseph P. Macary told the graduations that their hard work and success are predictive.

“I know the future is bright and you are going to be very, very successful,” he said.

The students recognized teachers for pressing them to see all the angles in a social studies class, for creating an atmosphere where they could feel safe and blossom, and for generating excitement about academic subjects.

Iris Hida, who is headed to Harvard with plans to study English and government, honored Brian Forte, whose courses on human rights and modern European history, she took.

“Whether we were discussing revolutions, human rights or current events, he encouraged us to think deeper, defend our ideas and consider perspectives we may have never thought about before,” she said. “He taught us that growth comes from curiosity and conversation, not just from having the right answer.”

Aidan Lang, the class valedictorian who is headed to Northeastern University, honored his mother, Julie Lang, who is a special education teacher at Rockville High School.

“I’ve had mom for, well, for 18 years now,” he said, eliciting laughs from his fellow students. “So, I probably should have written more.”

“You can send it to me later,” his mother replied.

Aidan continued. “I chose to invite her because, while I never had her as a student in school, I don’t think there has been a single person more instrumental to giving me a good life, giving me a good education, and doing absolutely everything she can for me.”

Carson Dionne, who is headed to Eastern Connecticut State University, honored math teacher Tara Distasio.

“She helped me a lot as a kid trying to find their way after being set back a few times,” Carson said. And that continued through Carson’s time at Rockville High School.

Acting on his teacher’s advice, Carson joined the youth equity squad and became a speaker. That “has allowed me to become more comfortable with my voice and speaking out for issues I see, and it’s helped me understand my voice … holds a lot more power than I used to think it did.”

The other Top 10 Rockville High School Scholars and the teachers they honored are:

• Kyle Shalaev, the class salutatorian, who plans to attend UConn, honored Vernon Center Middle School talented and gifted teacher Regina Lee.

• Caroline Burg, who plans to attend Springfield College, honored business and computer education teacher Chuck Martucci.

• Mary Christians, who plans to attend the University of Vermont, honored science teacher Jill Williams.

• Chloe Hazel, who plans to attend Northeastern University, honored soccer coach Victoria Boyajian.

• Grace Johnson, who plans to attend the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, honored business and allied health teacher Jennifer Kasek.

• Tyler Matula, who plans to attend UConn, honored technology education teacher Alex Sheldon.

• Sara Zamakhchari, who plans to attend UConn, was not able to attend the event.