It was a personal ceremony with a personal touch.
It was a personal ceremony with a personal touch.
All 48 Anzar High School graduates sat on stage with decorated caps. Five senior class advisors addressed students and their parents and 12 graduates spoke, thanking their family, friends and teachers and sharing memories with their classmates Wednesday during the school’s graduation ceremony.
“This is so special,” said Maria Vallejo, an exhibition judge. “These kids work really hard. They get to have their 30 seconds of fame.”
The 30 seconds refers to the music each graduate chose to enter the ceremony – another way to personalize the event for graduates.
“It (the ceremony) was wonderful,” said graduate Nicola Densmore. “Anzar is so unique. We have anyone who wants to go and speak. It’s so much more meaningful. Anzar is so small. Half the people we’ve known since kindergarten and, to be able to hear from them one more time, it’s great.”
Graduates walked to their own beat and decorated their caps. Charles Armour’s was topped with half a basketball and Leilani Gaboni-Inouye bordered her cap with pink boa feathers. Most students wrote messages and “2003” on top with colored glitter.
Opening the ceremony, graduate Zev Wisotsky played the National Anthem on the trumpet.
In her welcome address, Anzar Director Charlene McKowen highlighted elements that the class of 2003 accomplished, including 5,292 hours of community service and 392 exhibitions.
“There are a few traits that this entire graduating class shares that makes Anzar unique and better,” she said.
Each class at Anzar is randomly divided into groups of 20 to 25 and assembled into advisories with advisors who stay with the group all four years. Five senior class advisors spoke to the class of 2003 and said goodbye to students they’ve gotten to personally know during the four years.
“In your advisory, you have interacted with people you might not have interacted with otherwise,” said advisor Dan Faurot-Daniels, facing the graduates. “You have touched each other in ways you will never be aware of. You’ve learned to know and respect each other.”
Senior class advisor Michael Gunderson told parents to “let them go, they’re ready.” He gave the graduates a list of advice, including: “Do the research, don’t cheat, don’t lie, take care of yourself and learn to balance checkbooks.”
Vallejo said Anzar does “a good job of getting a cross-mix of students to speak.” Most of the 12 graduates giving speeches cried at some point.
“We are adults. There’s no more turning back,” Corina Forson said during her speech. “Once we turn our tassel over to the left side, we’re giving up our childhood.”
In keeping with Anzar’s tradition of “breaking the mold,” graduate Kevin Gong recited a list of things he has learned while at Anzar. Graduate Erika Johnson had Anzar’s staff stand while the students and audience applauded them. Graduates Johnson and Stephanie Smith sang songs inspired by their colleagues.
Afterward, McKowen presented the class of 2003 and Jackie Munoz, superintendent of the Aromas-San Juan Unified School District, accepted the graduates.
“I compliment you for completing the program with the most rigorous graduation requirements in California,” Munoz said.
Senior class advisors presented the diplomas to the students.
Jayne Ferreira was proud to see her younger brother get his diploma.
“He’s got all his exhibitions done, he’s done really well in school and got accepted to colleges,” she said of her brother, Neill.
Densmore said the evening was climactic, but sad at the same time.
“I’m excited and scared because the future is unknown. But we’re going to go out and get it anyway,” she said.
