Congratulations to Fiver’s Class of 2026! This year, we celebrated an especially meaningful milestone: the culmination of a ten-year journey. From their first summers at Camp Fiver to their final year as youth participants, our young people have built friendships, discovered their strengths, and taken on leadership roles within the Fiver community.
Over the past decade, summers at Camp have been part of a year-round experience that includes mentorship, job training, educational guidance, and leadership development. Along the way, there have been campfire songs, new adventures, first jobs, tough conversations, and milestones worth celebrating. Each experience has offered opportunities for Fivers to learn more about themselves, build relationships, and explore what they want for their futures.
During SERVE, their final two years of high school, Fivers take on greater responsibility as leaders. They explore college and career pathways, deepen their workplace skills, and help create meaningful experiences for younger participants.Through work placements at camp, they gain hands-on experience and earn stipends while building skills for the future. As they prepare for life beyond high school, Fiver supports them in identifying next steps that reflect their individual interests, strengths, and goals.
This year, all 38 graduating Fivers developed a confirmed plan for what would come next: 32 enrolled in two- or four-year colleges (27 as first generation college attendees), two entered trade or vocational programs, and four entered the workforce. These pathways reflect the different futures our young people envision for themselves—and the preparation they have put into pursuing them.
This fall, graduates are taking those next steps: beginning college classes, developing skills in a trade, or building experience on the job. College destinations include the University at Albany, Stony Brook University, Vanderbilt University, the University of Michigan, and Rochester Institute of Technology. Across every pathway, members of the Class of 2026 are bringing the skills, relationships, and experiences they developed during their years at Fiver.
Their families have been an essential part of this journey. Celebrating the Class of 2026 also means recognizing the families, mentors, program staff, educators, and friends who have supported their growth and cheered them on along the way.
Graduation also marks a new chapter in their relationship with Fiver. As alumni, they remain part of a community that has shared so many important moments with them and will continue to celebrate their accomplishments.
We are proud of the Class of 2026 and all they have accomplished over the past ten years. We look forward to seeing where their choices, talents, and ambitions take them next.
