Not even scorching Friday temperatures—eclipsing triple digits for Live Oak High School’s mid-afternoon graduation ceremony—could stop hundreds of parents, families and friends from coming out to celebrate and honor the Class of 2016.
For Andrew Giba and Nancy Love—proud parents of graduate Frances Giba—and for Mary Brandon and extended family—out to see oldest daughter Bijan Hunt get her diploma—the 102-degree heat, amped up more on the artificial football field grass, was only a minor concession for the front row seats they snagged about an hour prior to the start.
“It’s priceless,” said Giba of the special moment for his oldest of three children who is headed to Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo to study business in the fall. “I have all the confidence in the world that she will be successful in anything she applies herself to because she always has been.”
Giba arrived with his family shortly before noon as temperatures shot into the 90’s and began to creep up to 100 degrees before the graduating classmates started their walk up the center aisle and onto the visitor’s bleachers of the stadium.
“I couldn’t be more proud,” said mother Nancy Love of her daughter’s accomplishments that includes being a Silver Star Recipient for exceptional community service and Seal of Biliteracy honoree as well as playing four years of varsity basketball and golf. “We’re very fortunate.”
Brandon’s daughter was also among the 231 graduates whose names were read off as they walked across the stage to receive their high school diplomas with their closest supporters cheering them on.
“It’s been an emotional, wonderful experience and I couldn’t be more proud,” said Brandon, who wiped away her early-morning tears, with remembrance of Bijan’s father who died last year, to lead her family contingent to the ceremony for their prime seats.
Her daughter is headed to Cal State-Los Angeles, where she will major in physics with a pathway to Pre-med. “I knew since grade school that she was going to excel,” Brandon added.
Senior destinations for the Acorns’ Class of 2016 includes having 49 grads headed to Cal State University campuses; 19 to University of California campuses; nine to trade school/military; six to the workforce and five returning home from the foreign exchange program, according to LOHS staff.
“Even though it was hot, we were still having a lot of fun,” said graduate Frances Giba. “We all grew closer this year especially for the last few months which made the day even more special.”
A special memory Giba said she will always cherish is being part of the league-champion LOHS girls hoops team, and “the atmosphere everyday at Live Oak.”
Similar sentiments were echoed throughout the speeches given by Class of 2016 salutatorian Samantha Sadoff (who is off to University of Southern California to study film production) as well as co-Valedictorians Julia Leal (who is headed to Stanford University) and Cameron Kim (who is bound for UC Berkeley).
Other speakers were Associated Student Body President Mikayla Lacerda (who is headed to Arizona State) and Senior Class President Ivan Gonzalez—whose words encompassed the 2016 graduation theme of “Resilience, Adaption, Transformation”—as well as the “Presentation of Class Gift” by ASB Vice President Jacob Locsin and Sadoff, also the Senior Class Vice President.
“This is the beginning of the rest of our lives,” shared West Valley College-bound Danielle Shwegler, 17, whose graduation gown draped a gold cord for her four years in Morgan Hill Future Farmers of America.
Schwegler was joined by a group of close friends to share in the special day, including Abigail Upstill, 17, and Ida Tan, who are both headed to the University of Nevada-Reno.
“I feel like we’ve all been waiting for this (high school graduation) for a really long time and now I’m just excited to see what is waiting for us in college,” said Upstill.
“It’s been the best time at Live Oak; one of the best high school experiences,” added Tan. “I’m definitely going to miss the environment, but I’ve been waiting for this since freshman year. It’s gone by so fast.”
Morgan Hill Unified School District’s six-member board of education helped LOHS staff in the presentation of diplomas, while Superintendent Steve Betando and LOHS principal Lloyd Webb addressed the audience filled with umbrellas and sun hats to block the sun’s rays, inspirational signs and celebratory balloons for the graduates, and smart phones and video cameras to capture the cherished moments.
Earning a diploma after four years of high school came with some major hurdles for 2016 graduate Chastin Sharble, who will serve his country in the Air Force.
“Honestly, I didn’t think it was gonna happen,” Sharble, 18, said. “I was faced with a lot of challenges in my life, but it feels good to be here.”
LOHS’ Class of 2016 is filled with inspiring stories and young adults choosing their next step in life such as Raul “Rudy” Mendoza, 17, who plans to further his passion for cutting hair as he wants to be a professional barber and small business owner.
“It means a lot,” said Mendoza of earning his high school diploma. “My family helped me bring myself back up to this point.”
Baseball standout Justin Sanders, 18, earned a scholarship to Westmont College in Santa Barbara, where he will be a pitcher after signing his letter of intent back in January.
“It’s crazy. It’s gone by so fast,” said Sanders of his four years at LOHS, where he will never forget “just being with my friends (and) going to football games.”
UCLA-bound Hanh Phan parlayed her commitment to the Naval SeaCadets into a full college scholarship and a pathway into the Navy, where she wants to become a rescue scuba diver.
“This is only the beginning for all of us,” said Hanh, a Gold Cord Recipient for finishing with a GPA in the top 10 percentile of her class. “It’s like the LOHS motto, ‘We’re all branches of the same tree.’ We had four years together. Some of us have grown. Some have not. But we’re one in the same.”
