For the Class of 2026 at the Virgin Islands Montessori School & Peter Gruber International Academy, last Wednesday’s Senior Signing Day on St. Thomas felt less like a ceremony about destinations and more like a reflection on the journeys that brought students there.
Held on the VIMSIA campus alongside families, teachers, classmates, and friends, the afternoon celebrated a graduating class heading to an extraordinary range of next steps — from Harvard University and Tulane University to the United States Coast Guard Academy, NCAA athletics, engineering partnerships, and international study programs. But throughout the event, what stood out most was how often students returned to the same themes: community, resilience, friendship, and the people who helped shape them along the way.
This year’s class includes students earning nationally competitive scholarships and appointments, including Kaden Fisher, who received Tulane University’s prestigious Stamps Scholarship — one of the nation’s top undergraduate awards, covering full cost of attendance, research opportunities, study abroad, and more. Meanwhile, Ellis Wisehart earned an appointment to the United States Coast Guard Academy, where she plans to study marine and environmental sciences while continuing her sailing career on the academy’s Division I team.
For Zia Zucker, who will attend Harvard University to study Government on a public policy track, VIMSIA became far more than a school over the years. A National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, Zucker reflected on experiences ranging from Student Council and sailing to CyberPatriot, Global Politics classes, and international end-session programs that helped broaden her perspective and shape the person she hopes to become.
Other students spoke just as passionately about discovering new parts of themselves during their time at VIMSIA.
Amorae Alexander, who will begin studying accounting and finance at Emory University’s Oxford College, said the school community helped her grow after relocating from the British Virgin Islands following the 2017 hurricanes. Alongside academics, she discovered a love for theatre, participated in basketball and cross-country, and took on leadership roles including Student Council Treasurer.
Cristabel Medina Tavarez, who plans to attend Nova Southeastern University with hopes of eventually becoming a pediatrician, reflected on balancing the rigor of the IB Diploma Programme while discovering a passion for dance that became an important creative outlet during high school.
Meanwhile, Amorie Carty will head to Shaw University to study journalism and sports media while competing as an NCAA Division II soccer player — combining two passions he hopes to carry into a future career covering professional soccer. Tristan Farrington, who plans to study accounting at Florida A&M University, described his VIMSIA experience as both academically demanding and deeply grounding, shaped as much by IB coursework and Global Politics discussions as by growing up surrounded by the culture, people, and natural beauty of the Virgin Islands.
Again and again throughout the afternoon, students spoke about the relationships they built during their years at VIMSIA — with many noting that the school’s small size became one of its greatest strengths.
“I have been to several schools, and I can say that the PGIA is like no other,” Fisher reflected. “The community and support systems are unmatched.”
Wisehart echoed that feeling, describing a class environment where students constantly challenged and pushed one another to succeed. “I grew alongside people who pushed me to be better,” she said.
That closeness perhaps feels especially meaningful for this year’s graduating class because, according to the school, nearly half of the seniors have been part of the VIMSIA community since their Toddler and Primary years.
In remarks included in the school’s release, Head of School Gloria Arpasi described the Class of 2026 as “academically driven, thoughtful and kind in their actions, and dedicated to service to their community.”
“As they move onto their post high school pursuits,” Arpasi added, “they will contribute significantly to this world. The Virgin Islands has grown these brilliant, resilient young humans, and will be better off due to their presence and hard work.”
And by the end of the afternoon, as families gathered for photos and students hugged classmates they had grown up beside for years, the ceremony felt like more than a celebration of acceptances or scholarships: it felt like the closing chapter of a community that, for many of these students, has helped shape nearly their entire lives.
