Portsmouth Christian Academy Celebrates Commencement for the Class of 2026
Portsmouth, NH – June 5, 2026 – Portsmouth Christian Academy (PCA) proudly celebrated Commencement Day for the Class of 2026 on Friday, June 6th. The commencement ceremony, held in front of the Upper School buildings, celebrated the achievements of 45 young men and women, poised to go out and impact the world for good.
The evening began with an invocation by Board Chairman, Mr. Jeff Clark, whose prayer expressed gratitude for the accomplishments of the graduates and asked for blessings on their future endeavors.
Mr. Mike Runey, Head of School, welcomed the attendees, including families, friends, and faculty, acknowledging the collective efforts that contributed to this special day. Mr. Runey highlighted the academic excellence of the Class of 2026, which achieved an average weighted GPA of 3.70 and humbly boast over 12,000 service hours in their local churches and communities. The graduates earned a total of 143 college credits through Advanced Placement and dual enrollment courses, embodying PCA’s vision of joyful excellence and Christ-centered leadership.
“Students, as you leave PCA, I hope you can remember this. That before you are awarded, accomplished, enlisted or employed, you are known and loved by the living God,” said Mr. Runey. “Class of 2026, I’ve watched you strengthen younger students. I’ve watched you serve without needing applause. I’ve watched you bring new life to this campus, and help shape the entire tone of our school. You’ve led in small groups, athletics, fine arts, classrooms, service and missions. You’ve also led in ordinary places–in the hallways, the lunch tables, practices and long rehearsals.”
The National Anthem was performed by Voices, the Upper School vocal group.
Upper School Principal Mr. Jordan Heckelmann announced the recipient of PCA’s prestigious Golden Eagle Award, Ms. Aislinn Ngamcharoenthana. Recipients of the Golden Eagle Award have demonstrated outstanding academic achievements, leadership, and a strong Christian witness while at PCA. Aislinn, affectionately known as “Linnie” around campus, delivered a heartfelt speech that started with a nod to her school “family.”
“Some of you may remember in 8th grade, I gave a speech about my family. Well, I’m about to do the same thing in a way. Only now my family has expanded significantly. I am sincerely grateful to be surrounded by my family today in all of you.”
“To my fellow graduating seniors, I urge you to take a moment to think about how special it is to have attended PCA. How special it is that we have gotten to be in a place where we have been encouraged to seek the Lord and worship Him in the most formative years of our lives. We have been empowered, enabled, and instructed by kindhearted and knowledgeable teachers to walk in the ways of the Lord as they have helped us discover our passions and our skills.”
Mr. Nate Hasty, Educational Advising Director, introduced the class valedictorian, Miss Ava Buchanan, who will be attending Messiah University. Buchanan talked about a paper all PCA freshmen write in their first year of high school, laying out goals they want to achieve by the time they graduate. “Whether the goals you reached are exactly what you wrote down freshman year, or whether they grew and changed, I know there’s one thing the Class of 2026 can’t say, and that’s that we did it alone.”
Buchanan continued. “Thank you to everyone who supported the Class of 2026, and to everyone who helped carry us the last four years. Thank you to all the teachers who stayed after class to help explain things one more time. Thank you to the friends and mentors who stopped what they were doing just to take an extra second to listen. Thank you to the parents and families who drove us everywhere those first few years of high school and poured so much love into us. Thank you to the coaches and directors who gave us hours of their lives, and gave us the belief that we could achieve anything we set our minds to.”
Buchanan closed her valedictory address with Colossians 3:23, encouraging her peers to work hard to the glory of God. “Carry the courage to fail, humble enough to learn, and persistent enough to matter.”
Following Buchanan’s remarks were Upper School history and science teachers, Matthew Dunphy and Jessica Graustein’s commentary on the Class of 2026. Formatted in a “creation journal,” the teacher duo traded observations on each member of the Class of 2026, using prompts of, “I notice…, I think it means…, I wonder… and It reminds me of…”
“I noticed A-Tan knows how to walk the line between having fun on task and having too much fun off task. I think it means he’ll make great choices in finance. I noticed what a joyful and caring role model Caterina is in the halls, the classroom and the track field. I think it means her legacy will live on in the underclassmen she has blessed,” said Graustein to open.
“I wonder how long it’ll be before we see someone command the stage quite like Mason,” said Dunphy. I wonder how long it’ll be before someone leads a jam session in my Apologetics class. I think it’ll be a long time before we see someone rock like Brady.”
The commencement address was delivered by long-time history teacher Dr. Raymond Gamble, who retires at the end of this school year as he completes a 30-year teaching career at Portsmouth Christian Academy. A 1979 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Dr. Gamble served as a Military Police officer and also taught at West Point while completing his graduate studies in history, eventually earning his doctorate in European History before retiring from the Army in 1996.
Dr. Gamble gave practical advice to the Class of 2026 on how to live a life of meaning.
“I hope all of you find a church where you feel privileged to worship. Part of that, of course, based on church doctrine. Doctrine is important. It keeps church between the lines of orthodoxy and not wandering out into heresy, but doctrine alone doesn’t teach us everything–that depends also on church practice. Church practice is less about right or wrong, and more about providing a flavor that gives us comfort as we worship.”
Dr. Gamble shared that the church is also a great place to meet a partner, emphasizing the impact his wife Sharon made on his life, starting all the way back in high school where the two fell in love. “I went to high school in 1974 and met a young lady who changed my life,” said Gamble. “I developed a close relationship with that young woman, who I thought then and still think is wonderful. My enjoyment in marriage helped solidify my personal faith in Christ these past five decades.”
Gamble spoke on his storied teaching career at PCA. “I hope you find a line of work that enables you to earn a living. My brother-in-law worked for John Hancock. He found very little reward in laying out fiscal oversight for investment portfolios. His work meant he could pay the mortgage and feed his kids. Sadly, it never meant very much more than that. I have had the privilege of teaching the United States Army and Portsmouth Christian Academy. I’ve never had to worry if the Lord approved my programs. I’ve had the privilege of working with some fine men and women.”
Gamble continued. “I will never achieve wealth in a grand scale, but the Lord has provided everything that my family has ever needed, and I have had great pleasure in watching great men and women come closer to God. We did have a student once who cheered for the New York Yankees, but fortunately after four years he left.”
“For some of you, the next big step is college,” concluded Gamble. “For some of you it may be the military. For others potentially the workforce. You can count that throughout the process, the Lord will be with you, and He will hear your prayers.”
Josh Rocconi, representing the Class of 2016, welcomed the graduates into the PCA Alumni Association. He highlighted three key characteristics of PCA alumni: a strengthened foundation of faith in Christ, the development of good character, and the pursuit of excellence . He encouraged the graduates to keep Christ at the center of their lives and continue to pursue character and excellence in their future endeavors .
The ceremony concluded with a benediction from another storied teacher in PCA’s history, Mrs. Ruth Brown, who concludes 33 years of service as a Kindergarten teacher at PCA this summer.
Check Out All the Photos from Commencement 2026
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Portsmouth Christian Academy has been inspiring students on the Seacoast to maximize their potential for more than 40 years. PCA provides a nurturing educational environment that emphasizes Christ-centered community, outstanding academics, differentiated learning, and exceptional character. Located just minutes northwest of Portsmouth, NH on a beautiful 70-acre riverfront campus, PCA is a dually accredited, independent, college-preparatory, day school where young people from Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire in Preschool through Grade 12 are challenged to thrive academically and grow as servant-leaders prepared to impact the world for good. For more information, please visit pcaschool.org.
