Bishop Seabury Academy celebrates 23 seniors in intimate commencement ceremony

Twenty-three Bishop Seabury Academy seniors crossed the stage in Dillon Gymnasium Thursday, turning the school’s Stepping Up tradition into one of Lawrence’s most intimate graduation scenes. The ceremony at 4120 Clinton Parkway marked the end of a week of senior milestones and the start of a new transition for the Class of 2026.

The school’s calendar placed Stepping Up/Graduation on May 21, following Baccalaureate and Senior Dinner on May 20. That sequence gave the celebration a distinctly Bishop Seabury feel, with the graduating class recognized not just for diplomas, but as part of a larger school ritual that brings younger students into the moment as seniors move forward.

Remarks were given by Dr. Don Schawang, Xeva Oldridge and Ms. Melissa Johnson. The ceremony included the familiar elements families expect at graduation, with students applauding one another, receiving diplomas and tossing caps at the close of the program. In a small senior class, those moments land differently: each graduate is easier to spot, and each family’s reaction carries more weight in the room.

The class’s next steps also made the day stand out. Bishop Seabury said the 23 members of the Class of 2026 had been accepted to 72 different colleges and had received more than $8.6 million in scholarship and institutional grant offers. That is a notable figure for a graduating class of this size and reflects the academic profile the private school has built since its founding in 1997.

Bishop Seabury describes itself as an independent, college-preparatory Episcopal school serving grades 6-12, with a mission centered on academic excellence, moral development and preparing engaged citizens. Its smaller enrollment helps give events like graduation a more personal feel, especially when seniors are moving forward at the same time younger students are stepping up.

The 2026 ceremony also fit into a broader pattern at Seabury. The school graduated 17 seniors in 2025 and 27 seniors in 2024, showing that each year’s commencement is intimate but still central to the school’s identity. For Lawrence and Douglas County, it added another local milestone to a spring season defined by school endings, family celebrations and the steady turnover of another graduating class.