Milton L. Olive Middle School celebrated the accomplishments of its eighth graders during the annual moving-up ceremony on June 25 at the Wyandanch Memorial High School field. The event recognized scholars’ achievements while marking an exciting milestone as they prepare to begin high school this fall.

To open the ceremony, the MLO Choir, directed by Eric Sacher, sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

“Thank you to the moving-up class of 2026 for making my job fun and reminding me why I do what I do,” Principal Dr. Michelle Darby said. “I hope that I am always able to make a positive impact on the lives of young people, because I can tell you 100% that you made a big impact on my life.” 

“You reminded me not to take life too seriously,” eighth grade assistant principal Kimberly Clinton told the students. “Fun matters. Joy matters. It is absolutely possible to work hard and still laugh. You can be focused and still have fun. You can be serious and still smile. You can be strong and still be soft. As you move on to high school, keep growing, keep learning and keep finding that balance that works for you. Every morning, I tell you all that it’s a good day, but I always add, let’s work together to make it a great day. Carry that with you.”

“As we gather here today to testify on the fruits of our labor, I would like to congratulate the middle school class of 2026 and welcome the future high school class of 2030,” salutatorian Heisy Euceda said. “Despite all the challenges we faced as a collective and as individuals, we can now look back and smile because those hardships have shaped who we are as people,” valedictorian Andrew Adjei said. “Above all, our challenges prepared us to face what’s next.”

In his keynote speech, Superintendent Dr. Erik Wright urged the students to focus on following their dreams.

“During these next four years, you’ll have the opportunity to set yourself apart from anyone that’s not focused on their dream, and we’ll help you stay focused,” Dr. Wright said. “Focus on your dreams, focus on your family and make good choices with your friends. Then, in June 2030, you’ll be walking across the stage as high school graduates. I look forward to being a part of the process.” 

Along with their moving-up certificates, the graduates received awards including the New York State Attorney General Triple C Award (Simon Stewart and Christinha Ydoizil), Attorney General Civic Ambassador Award (Clive Blake), Suffolk County Public Service Award (Andrew Adjei and Lukas Coreas-Urquiza), New York State Comptroller Award (Heisy Euceda and Jefry Ruiz-Ruiz), Rachael Quinn Kindness Award (Jefry Ruiz-Ruiz), Phoenix Award (Yazmin Amaya, Adelina Chin Sang, Destiny Christie, Izelly Cruz Ashley Guerrero Navarro, Emani Lewis, Brianna Ruiz-Saravia and Maria Vargas Ramos) and Principal’s Recognition Award (Aniya Davis and Elias Paniagua).

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