Hollister
– Next week will mark an important rite of passage for local
teens on the cusp of entering the adult world: high school
graduation.
Hollister – Next week will mark an important rite of passage for local teens on the cusp of entering the adult world: high school graduation.
For seniors, the event is exciting and memorable. But with extended family coming to town, cakes to order, suits to press and flowers to buy, graduation can also be stressful for grads and their families.
“The whole senior year, they keep saying, ‘Prepare ahead of time,’ but I had no idea,” said Anne Rovella, who has a daughter who is a senior at SBHS.
Rovella is on the graduation committee as well as the Sober Grad Night committee. She said she is already preparing for the chain of events next week. She has already ordered the graduation cake and confirmed a caterer.
“I’m trying to get it all done ahead of time so I can relax during graduation,” she said.
Rovella and others volunteering for the parent-organized graduation at San Benito High School have more to think about beyond where the in-laws are going to sleep.
The high school’s graduation committee is still hoping more parents offer to help.
“Not a lot of people have helped this year, just a handful of troopers,” Rovella said. “But it will all come together.”
The graduation season also marks a busy time for local businesses.
With an estimated 600 students graduating from high school in San Benito County next week, local businesses are preparing for last-minute catering orders and flower arrangements.
Kim Brandon, who is in charge of cake decoration at Elegant Touch, said she has already gotten around 10 preorders for graduation cakes, but expects them to pile up by early next week.
“Every year we get more and more, so I don’t know what to expect this year,” Brandon said.
Georgina Salinas, who owns Barone’s Florist in Hollister, said she has not gotten a lot of pre-orders for leis, but is planning on getting a lot of calls next week.
“I’m getting ready for the arrangements of the leis and all the things that people order,” Salinas said. “We would like them to order ahead of time, because we order a certain amount of every color. If they call the day before, sometimes we only have purple and they want white, and we want to please them.”
Local families are also trying to plan for their graduation parties. A to Z Party Rental has nearly rented out all of its chairs and tables for graduation parties starting next week and continuing through late in June.
“This is a busy time for us because right now all the weddings are coming in along with the graduations,” store manager Jim Grimaldo said.
While some families of graduates have checked off their long to-do lists, other students are still scrambling to make sure they can walk during graduation.
San Benito High School students must make sure all their fines have been paid so they can walk during their graduation. Activities Director Juan Robledo said students have been reminded that they must make sure everything is in order for them to graduate on June 7.
Senior Magan Biggs said she had been nervously checking to make sure she had no fines.
“I turned in all my books so I can walk. I had to get all the stuff cleared for prom, but I’m just going back to make sure I haven’t accumulated any more fines,” Biggs said.
Teachers were also notified of the students who must pass their final exams in order to graduate.
Those interested in volunteering at San Benito High School’s graduation should contact Cheri Schmidt at 638-6593.
