The 15 students in Silver Summit Academy’s Class of 2026 graduated in front of friends and family May 28. The intimate ceremony in Promontory at the Nicklaus Painted Valley Golf Course building was filled with laughter, tears and celebrations.
Silver Summit is a non-traditional public school in the South Summit School District. It combines face-to-face and online learning, serving sixth through 12th grade.
Graduate Morgan Vesco said the school’s format — which features four days of class time and free Fridays to catch up on missing work — allowed her to pursue other aspirations, like hockey.
“That has been amazing with my travel schedule,” she said. “With hockey at the level I play, I travel a lot. I'm gone like twice a month, and doing that as an athlete and a full-time student is a lot.”
Vesco first stepped on the ice when she was 5 years old, immediately hooked by the speed and adrenaline of hockey. She started out with the Park City Ice Miners and then joined the Utah Lady Grizzlies.
One of Vesco’s career highlights came during this season’s last tournament in California. One of her Grizzlies teammates was injured in the semifinals.
Vesco said the group, more like family than a team, wanted to round out the season with a championship win — and they did.
“There was a shift, and it wasn't of, like, we didn't think we could do this; it was we have to do this for her,” Vesco said.
Silver Summit’s small class sizes mean students and teachers are also tight-knit.
During a joint graduation speech, Vesco and classmate Alexandra Ward reflected on growing up together. Many went from learning hot glue gun safety to toiling over missing assignments senior year.
The pair thanked their teachers and wished their fellow grads the best as they enter the adult world.
“As we move forward into uncharted territory, we have confidence that the lessons we've learned and the relationships we've built will inspire us to achieve great things and make a positive impact in the world,” Vesco said.
Vesco will play NCAA Division III hockey at Rhode Island’s Roger Williams University in the fall.
