The skies were gray early Friday morning, but the sun shone
brightly on each of San Benito High School’s graduating seniors
when they received their diplomas and took their first fledgling
steps into adulthood.
The skies were gray early Friday morning, but the sun shone brightly on each of San Benito High School’s graduating seniors when they received their diplomas and took their first fledgling steps into adulthood.
“There’s no other feeling like this,” said graduate Jeremy Bosio minutes after the commencement ceremony. “It’s unbelievable.”
Five-hundred twenty-six students donned the traditional SBHS red and white graduation gowns before more than 6,000 moms, dads, uncles, aunts, grandparents, friends and other assorted relations. The Class of 2006 was the first required by state law to pass the California High School Exit Exam in order to graduate. Earlier in the year, however, the SBHS Board of Trustees voted to award Certificates of Completion to students who had not yet passed the CAHSEE but had successfully made it through all of their required classes, allowing them to walk in the ceremony.
On top of passing the CAHSEE and their classes, many seniors went above and beyond the call of duty in the academic arena. Thirty-three students maintained a 4.0 or better GPA all-year long and more than 150 scholarships were given to students in the pursuit of higher education. All told, SBHS is sending students to some of the most prestigious universities in the world, including Stanford, Cornell, Mills and Columbia as well as virtually all of the University of California and California State University campuses. Countless others participated in and were recognized for achievements in school athletic teams or clubs.
“(Some students) are the first in your family to receive scholarships that will pay for your education in its entirety,” said Principal Debbie Padilla. “Others raised their second semester grades so that it would be possible for them to be here today.”
Superintendent Jean Burns Slater, in her final commencement speech for SBHS before she retires this summer, asked students to take the time to appreciate the value of their public education and reflect on the real-life lessons graduates will take with them in the future.
“You may be free from education,” she said. “But your education is no longer free.”
Valedictorian Magali Ferare likened the futures of each graduate to a car that had been fixed up and was ready to hit the open road.
“When we first began our schooling, no one knew exactly what the future would look like,” she said. “By giving us an education, we were given not ‘the keys to our future,’ but rather the tools to shape it. … The keys to our future are ours, we always had them. We just chose to improve on that future before taking the wheel.”
Perhaps the morning’s celebrations were best summed up by Wesley Salazar, one of the Top Ten students of 2006 who plans on attending Columbia University next year.
“I was challenged here, and I made the best out of my experience,” she said. “But I’m excited to be moving on to somewhere else.”
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or ds****@fr***********.com
