Nice celebrated its excellent graduates at the Masséna Villa

The city of Nice honored on Wednesday, July 8, 2026 in the gardens of Villa Masséna, the 367 Nice high school students who achieved the “Excellent” distinction in the baccalauréat, in the presence of Mayor Éric Ciotti and Laurent Le Mercier, academic director of the National Education services for Alpes-Maritimes, to acknowledge academic work deemed exemplary.

A distinction that has become rare

11.02 %. This is the share of candidates who obtained the excellent distinction this year, of which 1.7% with jury commendations. A figure in sharp decline compared to the 28% recorded three years ago at the lower secondary certificate, according to Laurent Le Mercier. The academic director sees no drop in standards. He reads the opposite: “today’s baccalauréat is more demanding, more selective, more revealing of individual talents,” he stated before the gathered families.

Since the 2021 reform, the exam values regular work. It rewards progressive specialization and personal commitment. Cross-cutting skills also count: public speaking, argumentation, reasoning. For Laurent Le Mercier, this diploma goes beyond simple job placement. It represents a shared heritage, forges, in his view, a sense of belonging to a community of shared destiny.

Figures that speak volumes

Éric Ciotti recalled a few figures from the department. The department had 21,748 candidates this year. Among them, 18,469 achieved the baccalauréat. Nice alone saw 367 of its students obtain the excellent distinction.

The mayor highlighted four particular achievements. Jérémie Azerad, sixteen years old, was distinguished as the youngest graduate of the general baccalauréat with an average of 16.86. Lucie Le Balc’h, thirteen years old, was named the youngest baccalauréat holder in the Nice academy for this year 2026, though she was unable to be present at the ceremony. Lily Roucayrol was celebrated as the youngest graduate of the professional baccalauréat with an average of 17.27. Romain Duplessy completed this foursome with an average of 16.87. “This distinction is not the fruit of chance,” Éric Ciotti insisted, “it is the fruit of long work, of much effort.“

The mayor also announced a municipal award of 200 euros per graduate. A way, he said, to support “this time of life that is wonderful.”

Éric Ciotti shared an anecdote as a recruiter. The city of Nice employs 12,000 agents, working in 500 different professions. “I always look at the baccalauréat distinction,” he confided, regardless of the diploma obtained afterwards.

The graduates speak out

Jérémie Azerad will attend a post-secondary engineering school, Polytech Valbonne. He says he feels pride and pleasure and hopes for “a good career, a good professional life.”

Lily Roucayrol completed a professional baccalauréat in culinary arts. She will attend the Paul Bocuse Institute in Lyon, in a bachelor’s program. Her ambition is clear: to become a Michelin-starred chef in a restaurant of her own. “I am honored to be here,” she confided. “It is gratifying to see your work rewarded after many years of hard work.“

Romain Duplessy, trained in automotive vehicle maintenance, will continue with a BTS in mechanics. He describes a feeling of gratitude. “We weren’t just hastily given our distinction,” he emphasized. “It is rewarding.”

Éric Ciotti also thanked the families and teachers. He recalled the role of school principals in this collective success. “A nation without a high-level education and university system is no longer a nation of the future,” he stressed, saluting the teaching profession through Laurent Le Mercier.

The ceremony ended with a message looking toward the summer. The mayor invited the young graduates to enjoy their vacation. This Nice tradition, initiated in 2011, aims to encourage each year the most deserving students to continue on this path of success.

Adama Sanogo