We are pleased to announce plans for our 151st Commencement and upcoming celebrations for the Class of 2026!

151st Commencement
Saturday, May 23, 2026

Cushing Academy is excited to celebrate the graduating Class of 2026. We hope you will join us in celebration! If you are unable to attend, we will be livestreaming both our Friday Awards Ceremony and Saturday Graduation.

Commencement Speaker: Hayley Moore Kotyk ’04

Hayley Moore Kotyk ’04 is Cushing Academy's 2026 Commencement speaker.

Hayley is currently Senior Agent and Director of Women's Hockey for Quartexx Management, an industry leading sports management agency based in Canada. Most recently, she was Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations for the American Hockey League, where she oversaw all aspects, including on-ice operations, management of the AHL officiating program, and the league’s supplementary discipline process.

A thoughtful leader at Cushing, Hayley distinguished herself as a three-season varsity athlete in field hockey, ice hockey, and softball, twice receiving the Bette Davis Award for excellence in three sports and earning multiple Offensive Player Awards for both field hockey and ice hockey. Elected as freshman class treasurer and sophomore class secretary, she also served as a proctor for two years and earned the Vincent VR Booth Award for personal growth and contribution to the life of Cushing Academy.

Hayley is a graduate of Brown University, where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Human Biology and where she was a two-year captain of the women's ice hockey team and a two-time All-Ivy selection.

She went on to skate professionally for the Boston Blades as well as in Switzerland, and coached collegiately at both the Division I and III levels, including UMass Boston and Harvard University. 

Before joining the AHL, Hayley was the Team President of the Boston Pride of the National Women’s Hockey League. She previously served as general manager of the club, guiding the team to a two-year record of 30-4-1 and a championship. Her depth of experience as a leader also includes serving as the deputy commissioner and director of player development for the NWHL, and as commissioner of the Eastern Women’s Hockey Conference. 

A Penguin through and through, Hayley has spoken often about the lifelong friendships that rooted her experience at Cushing, and she has generously served Penguin Nation as a past member of the Young Alumni Council, as our Senior Breakfast keynote speaker in 2022, and as a repeat speaker at our Leaders and Learners Summits, including this spring. 

We are honored to have Hayley address our 2026 graduates and share her impressive and inspiring Journey — and she is looking forward to being with our community as we celebrate this special day.

Graduation Weekend Schedule

Friday, May 22, 2026

• 3:30 pm - Awards Ceremony and Cum Laude Recognition (Tent on Drew Common)
  Most department and academic awards—excluding valedictorian, salutatorian, and a few community and academic awards—will be presented at this ceremony. All parents and guests are welcome to attend. If your son or daughter will be receiving an award, you will be notified in advance by the Academic Office. This event will be livestreamed.
  Immediately following the Awards Ceremony, students will participate in the annual All-School Handshake on Quimby Field.
• 6:00-7:30 pm - Graduation Dinner for Class of 2026 and Parents (Fisher-Watkins Dining Commons)
  Seating is limited; an RSVP invitation will be sent to graduate families via email.

Saturday, May 23, 2026

• 8:00-9:30 am - Breakfast (Fisher-Watkins Dining Commons)
  All guests are welcome.
• 10:00 am - Graduation Exercises (Tent on Drew Common)
  Open seating is available for all guests under the tent starting at 8:30 am.
• 11:30 am-1:30 pm - Luncheon (Fisher-Watkins Dining Commons)
  All guests are welcome to enjoy lunch following the ceremony.
• Departure from Campus
  Seniors and their families depart campus following the luncheon, no later than 3:00 pm. Underclass students remain on campus for final exams.

Please Note: This is a placeholder schedule. Events and timing are subject to change. The program for Commencement will be finalized before invitations are sent out.

Additional Commencement Notes

Parking
On graduation day, all road access to the interior of our campus will be blocked. Parking will be directed to the baseball field (Adams Field), and golf carts and air-conditioned buses will be available to shuttle visitors to and from the event tent.

If members of your party have mobility issues, please get in touch with Colleen Fay at [email protected] or (978) 827-7102 and we will give your party access to limited parking in the admissions parking lot.

Breakfast + Luncheon
All Commencement guests are invited to join us for breakfast and a celebratory luncheon. Breakfast will be served in the Fisher-Watkins Dining Commons from 8:00 to 9:30 am. Lunch will be available immediately following graduation exercises, from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm.

Departure from Campus
Graduates and their families should say their final goodbyes and check out of their dorm rooms by 3:00 pm.

Invitations

Cushing provides each student with printed invitations to send to family and friends. Parents will receive an invitation directly from the Academy in the mail.

There is no reserved seating for graduation. Ample seating is available and guests can expect excellent views throughout the venue. The tent will open at 8:30 am.

Student Attire for Graduation

Cushing will provide each student with academic regalia, consisting of a cap and gown, for the Commencement ceremony to accompany the student’s special academic dress attire. Students are not permitted to substitute any academic regalia for what is provided by Cushing.

All students are expected to dress for Commencement and other end-of-year ceremonies in accordance with the Special Academic Dress policy of Cushing Academy’s Community Handbook.
 

Lodging

If you require an overnight stay in the area before Commencement, we suggest that you secure a reservation soon. Please be aware that there is limited hotel availability in the area. 

Hotels

The Colonial Hotel
625 Betty Spring Road
Gardner, MA 01440
978.630.2500
(6.5 miles)

Great Wolf Lodge
150 Great Wolf Drive
Fitchburg, MA 01420
978.343.9653
(9 miles)

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
99 Erdman Way, 
Leominster, MA 01453
978.534.9000
(14 miles)

Springhill Suites by Marriott – Devens Commons Center
27 Andrews Parkway
Devens, MA
978.772.3030
(23 miles)
 

Inns and Bed and Breakfasts

The Maguire House
30 Cobb Rd.
Ashburnham, MA01430
978.827.5053   
(1.5 miles)

The Monadnock Inn
379 Main Street
Jaffrey, NH 03452
603.532.7800
(20 miles)

Additional Questions?

Please contact Colleen Fay, Executive Assistant to the Head of School, at (978) 827-7102 or [email protected] if you have any questions or special accommodation needs.