Today is the day that San Benito High School seniors will be
embarking on a new journey, crossing the threshold from youth to
adulthood, turning the page in the book of life, and reading
various other graduation cliches like these in congratulatory
greeting cards.
Today is the day that San Benito High School seniors will be embarking on a new journey, crossing the threshold from youth to adulthood, turning the page in the book of life, and reading various other graduation cliches like these in congratulatory greeting cards.
Though many of them know what they’ll be doing next year, they really have no idea what their life has in store for them. For some, it’s the end of school forever – no more homework, detention, roll call, having someone like me asking them when they’ll be turning in their overdue project.
For others, today is a stepping stone to college, maybe grad school, internships, a career.
Today’s commencement will be the first high school graduation ceremony I’ve been a part of since I walked across the stage at Andy Hardin Field 19 years ago. It was a day of excitement – I had already turned 18, but I was soon going to officially be an adult, I thought. It was also a day tinged with sadness – I knew that this would be the last time I would see some of my classmates, who – like me – were ready to bolt from Hollister as soon as they could.
The ceremony itself was a bit of a blur. There was a gaggle of graduates and a plethora of parents. Most of us were smiling throughout the ceremony as we looked up at our friends and families sitting in the stands. We knew they were proud of us. They also may have been surprised that we actually made it through 12 years of school.
Even if we didn’t know each other, we soon-to-be Baler alumni had accomplished something together: earning the required number of units, attending school, fitting our big ’80s hairstyles under our graduation caps.
Despite the warnings from the administration, a beach ball or two bounced around for a while before being captured and deflated by a teacher. That is my role now. As much as I’d like to keep the ball bouncing, I am a deflator.
During my ceremony, some grads wore odd shoes or funny shorts under their graduation gowns. They figured it was their last chance at being a goofy kid. Those of us who went on to college realized that our goofiness increased exponentially when we left home and didn’t have to report to our parents any longer.
This morning I’m expecting to hear the same exclamations that my classmates yelped back in the late ’80s.
“We did it!”
“I made it!”
“What did he do to deserve a car as a graduation present?”
I’m not sure what my emotions will be today. I look forward to having brunch with the seniors before the ceremony, shaking their hands and wishing them well. I’ll be proud as I see my students walk across the stage. I may even get choked up when I see parents give their children congratulatory hugs.
Some of these students will become community leaders or business people or stay-at-home moms. Others, unfortunately, will get in trouble and have a tough life. Some may even surprise themselves and return to their alma mater as teachers one day.
But for today, all of the graduates are success stories. From valedictorian Magali Ferare to the student who barely passed his last final on Wednesday in order to graduate, they have accomplished a great thing.
Welcome to the real world, Class of 2006. Based on what I’ve learned from you and about you this year, you’ll do just fine.
Adam Breen teaches journalism and yearbook at San Benito High School. He is a former editor of The Free Lance.
