The year's closing events began with Prize Day, one of St. Stephen's most cherished traditions. Students, faculty, and staff gathered to recognize outstanding academic achievement, artistic accomplishment, athletic success, and service to the community.

Book prizes, subject awards, National Latin Exam medals, and Service Learning recognitions highlighted the breadth of student accomplishment, while the School's Five Pillars Awards honored students who exemplify the values at the heart of a St. Stephen's education: Care, Scholarship, Integrity, Independence, and Creativity.

The ceremony served as a reminder that excellence at St. Stephen's is measured not only by academic success, but by the character, generosity, and intellectual curiosity students demonstrate every day.

The end of the school year also provided an opportunity for Grade 9 and Grade 10 students to showcase the culmination of their work through a student exhibition featuring projects developed across the academic year.

Families, faculty, and fellow students explored research, creative work, and interdisciplinary projects that reflected the depth of learning taking place both inside and beyond the classroom.
Particular attention was given to projects connected to our City of Rome program and the Aventinus Minor Project, one of St. Stephen's signature academic experiences. Drawing upon their study of Rome's history, archaeology, and material culture, students presented work inspired by months of research, fieldwork, and direct engagement with the city's extraordinary historical landscape.

The exhibition was more than a display of finished projects. It was an opportunity for students to communicate their thinking, reflect on their learning, and demonstrate the curiosity, creativity, and analytical skills that are central to a St. Stephen's education.

For the graduating seniors, the final weeks were filled with traditions that have become defining moments of the St. Stephen's experience.

The festivities began with the annual Senior Breakfast on the Aventine Terrace, where students gathered one final time overlooking the city that has shaped so much of their high school journey. It was an opportunity to reflect, reconnect, and enjoy one another's company before graduation week officially began.

The school year culminated with Commencement, as 79 graduates crossed the stage to receive their St. Stephen's diplomas.

Families, faculty, trustees, alumni, and friends gathered to celebrate a class whose accomplishments reflected both academic excellence and remarkable diversity of talent and ambition.

Members of the Class of 2026 will continue their studies at outstanding universities around the world, including Yale University, Brown University, Columbia University, New York University, the University of Michigan, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Northeastern University, Bocconi University, and many other leading institutions across Europe, the United Kingdom, North America, and beyond.

While the destinations are impressive, they tell only part of the story. The graduates leave St. Stephen's with the intellectual independence, global perspective, and sense of purpose that have been cultivated throughout their years in Rome.

As campus grows quieter for the summer, work is already underway in preparation for another exciting school year. Campus improvements, new initiatives, and fresh opportunities are taking shape as St. Stephen's prepares to welcome both returning families and those joining the community for the first time.

To the Class of 2026, we offer our warmest congratulations and every success in the years ahead. To our returning students and families, we wish you a wonderful summer and look forward to welcoming you back in September.

Here's to another year of curiosity, discovery, friendship, and learning at St. Stephen's School!