Colin McConville – Staff Writer
SAN JUAN BAUTISTA
Anzar High School graduate Matthew Rosa said that now that his four years of high school are over, he can “gladly say that high school was the best four years of my life.”
As a senior speaker at Anzar’s graduation on Thursday, Rosa addressed his fellow Class of 2009 graduates and a full audience in the school gym and while he said he embraces his graduation as the next test in his life, he is ready for the future.
“I do not fear a new school or new people nor do I fear my departure from Anzar. Instead, I embrace our graduation as another test.”
As the 55 graduates marked the end of their high school careers, the graduation also marked the final address to graduates by Superintendent Jackie Munoz, who will be retiring after 13 years in that position. She addressed the graduates saying that this is a transition.
“In most cases, the changes have been relatively easy due of the support of a friend and other support of the adults in your lives.”
She continued: “I know that a positive transition from high school to this next phase in a young person’s life is crucial to becoming a productive adult. That said, Anzar has prepared you well.”
The ceremony began with a traditional Anzar processional where the graduates walked into the gym to a song of their choice, displaying a wide range of music from Paul Simon to Outkast to Lady Gaga.
Senior advisor and history teacher Marilyn Breiling started her speech addressing the parents of the graduates.
“Like an estimated 9.4 percent of the population, you’re out of a job.”
She continued on to say that her experience as a senior advisor over the years has been much like being a parent. Her first “child” was the Class of 2001 and she said she had many pictures of them, had a collection of their sayings, individual pictures of them and also kept journals of their activities, much like a parent does with it’s first child. Her second “child” was the Class of 2005, which she said was “amazingly resilient.” She didn’t have as many pictures of them and had “some” albums of their pictures. And that brought her to her third “child,” the Class of 2009.
“Look closely at them, because like a third child, I didn’t take that many pictures of them,” she joked.
In her speech, Munoz said that after her own graduation, she was asked by her parents, “where do you want to be in five years?” She continued on to say that she reached a crossroads and she did not know which way to travel and she found herself asking the same question.
“As I reach a milestone in my life, I’m asking, where do you want to be in five years? I hope each of you will ask this question to ensure a positive future for your individual goals, your family, for Aromas-San Juan Unified School District and those of our state, nation and world.”
Senior speaker Kalina McKinney said that in the fall of 2005, 90 students walked onto the Anzar campus and after a “natural selection process,” 55 remain. After addressing her family, saying, “I couldn’t have done it without you,” she said to her classmates, “it’s always a cliche until you get to say it, but guys, we did it.”
