Graduation 2026!

Jesuit High School graduated its Class of 2026 on Friday (May 22) as the school celebrated commencement exercises at the Straz Center in downtown Tampa!

The graduating class is comprised of 217 students, the second-largest in Jesuit history (2024). Academic, athletic, or service academy scholarships were earned by 159 members of the class, and 169 received Florida Bright Futures Scholarships (78%), with a total scholarship value of more than $27.2 million.

One-hundred percent were accepted into college, with 185 colleges, universities, and service academies accepting Jesuit students in 2026. Those schools include all of the most selective schools in Florida plus renowned institutions such as Boston College, Cornell, Duke, Emory, Georgetown, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Harvard, Illinois, Johns Hopkins, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Purdue, Texas, UCLA, USC, U.S. Naval Academy, Villanova, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and Wisconsin.

The Valedictorian for the Class of 2026 is Sagar Lopez, who is a National Merit Scholar and will attend the University of Florida. The co-Salutatorians are Noah Reese (National Merit Scholar/Univ. of Florida) and Graham Wills (University Scholarship to the Univ. of Notre Dame).

Click on their name for video of the presentations by Lopez, Reese, and Wills, as well as the President’s Address at Graduation by school president Fr. Vincent Giacabazi, S.J., or visit Jesuit High School's YouTube channel, @JesuitTampa.

Each year, four special awards are presented during commencement exercises to recognize outstanding members of the graduating class. The recipients of these awards are determined by a vote of the faculty, and they are commemorated on the 'Men for Others' monument on the Jesuit campus. The 2026 winners were announced during graduation by principal Mike Scicchitano:

• The Charles J. Lashley Award, for outstanding characteristics of leadership of the student body, the highest honor Jesuit High School confers upon a graduating senior:  Robert Bogle  (Univ. of Notre Dame)
• The Larion J. Elliot Award, for dedication and commitment to Christ and the Church through the example of his Christian Life:  Henry Bravo (Univ. of Notre Dame)
• The Pedro Arrupe Award, for excelling as a ‘Man for Others’ through distinguished achievement in community service:  Drew Garcia (Univ. of Notre Dame)
• The Joseph P. Gavan Award, for outstanding generosity and dependability in service to the school community:  GianLuca Pasquotto (Univ. of Notre Dame)

In keeping with one of Jesuit's earliest traditions, graduates wore the classic tuxedo at Graduation. The traditional cap and gown, per school custom, were worn Thursday night (May 21) at Baccalaureate Mass. A photo of each Jesuit graduate receiving his diploma from Father Giacabazi will be made available soon.

Click here to view a PDF of the event program from Graduation 2026. It includes a listing of all 217 graduates, as well as: the names of all of the seniors who were recognized at Awards Night in late April; the 97 seniors who graduated summa cum laude (4.1 GPA or better); the 33 who graduated magna cum laude (3.8 GPA); and the 24 who graduated cum laude (3.5 GPA); and the college acceptances and individual scholarships earned by members of the Class of 2026.

For photos, go to the Facebook page Jesuit High School of Tampa.