With smiles that would light the sky, Ann Sobrato High School
graduates and their families didn’t seem to notice the brief rain
shower and dark cloud that dimmed part of the 2009 commencement
ceremony.
Morgan Hill
With smiles that would light the sky, Ann Sobrato High School graduates and their families didn’t seem to notice the brief rain shower and dark cloud that dimmed part of the 2009 commencement ceremony.
About 315 students graduated from ASHS Friday afternoon, as their class leaders as well as school and district administrators ushered them into what the grads variably referred to as adulthood, independence, and “the real world.”
Principal Deborah Padilla noted her pride in the class, and advised them to use their formative high school experiences to help others in the future, in the same way their parents, teachers, and fellow classmates helped them.
“You will become models for courage, strength, and perseverance,” Padilla said.
Morgan Hill Unified School District Superintendent Alan Nishino laughed with the assembled graduates as they tossed around a beach ball prior to his remarks, which touched on the importance of continuing to work hard while making a positive difference.
“Please remember, there’s more to life than academics – it’s also how you treat people,” Nishino said.
The class co-salutatorian Kirsten Kuwatani told her classmates how important their four years in high school were.
“These experiences shaped who we are now,” Kuwatani said. “The important thing to take away is not the diploma, but the experiences and memories.”
Keynote speaker and ASHS social studies teacher Tracy Murphy presented a cardboard box with a question mark on each side, stating that each graduate has a similar box that contains “limitless possibilities” that opened up with Friday’s commencement.
“Now is the time to discover what lies within,” Murphy said. She explained that high school has provided them with the “tools” to start that discovery, in the form of acquired skills such as time management, decision making, and negotiation skills.
Following the ceremony, graduates and their parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, nieces and nephews still couldn’t hide their glee.
Kevin Jara, 18, said it felt “awesome” to be a new Sobrato graduate, even though he will miss playing the alto saxophone in the school marching band.
“I made it through four years of hard work,” said Jara, surrounded by an entourage of relatives. He now plans to attend Gavilan College for two years, then transfer to a four-year school, hopefully San Jose State University.
His mother, Lisa Jara was “very proud” of her son, particularly because he is the first grandchild on his father’s side of the family to graduate high school.
Becky Mikosz and Lauren Ellison both plan to attend San Francisco State University in the fall, and both were glad to be finished with high school.
“It’s the ultimate freedom from dependent schooling,” Mikosz said.
Added Ellison, “(Graduation is) our entrance into the real world. We don’t have to have our parents around anymore.”
Jose Mosqueda, 18, plans to attend a vocational school now that he’s a Sobrato graduate. He is seeking a job that will allow him to work on improving the environment.
“I’m honored and very excited to start a new chapter,” he said.
The festivities continued into the evening for some, including Sabrina Valenzuela and her family, who celebrated with dinner at Poppy’s Fish and Poultry after receiving her diploma. Seated at the head of the table with 10 members of her family, Valenzuela, 18, was still wearing her maroon graduation gown and a lei of orchids around her neck.
She said she will miss her friends, and the camaraderie she felt the class of 2009 shared for four years.
“It went by fast, but I’m looking forward to college,” Valenzuela said. “I feel like I get to grow up more and be on my own, and I want to experience that.”
Valenzuela will attend California State University Chico in the fall and major in civil engineering, after spending as much time as she can with her friends and taking a trip to Florida during the summer.
Her mother had mixed feelings about Valenzuela’s graduation.
“I’m sad because she’s going to be gone, and I’m excited for her because she’s making a new start,” said Ada Yeadon.
