On a day filled with jubilant cheers and palpable excitement, three local high schools marked the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter.
Righetti High School, Pioneer Valley High School, and Santa Maria High School all held their graduation ceremonies on Thursday.
Pioneer Valley High School had the largest graduating class with over 700 tasseled caps, while Santa Maria High School had roughly 700 graduates, and Righetti had nearly 600 graduates.
Santa Maria Joint Union High School District officials say a total of more than 2,300 students graduated this year. Delta High School, which is also a part of the district, held its graduation on Wednesday.
KSBY spoke to several graduates on Thursday, each of whom shared their career ambitions and reflected positively on their high school experience.
Chanel Jolie Corpuz, a beaming graduate from Pioneer Valley High School, voiced appreciation for her class' ability to reach this milestone despite pandemic-related challenges.
"It feels very rewarding being the class that started on Zoom, and getting to this point feels all the more successful and fulfilling," she said.
Corpuz also expressed gratitude for her alma mater's faculty and staff, saying Pioneer Valley High School's teachers are "some of the most supportive and encouraging people."
Corpuz, shining in Pioneer Valley's colors of aqua blue and gold, said she will attend the University of California, San Diego, and aspires to be a radiologist.
Logan Ries, an alumnus of Righetti High School donning the school's indigo and gold colors, conveyed the joy he found in his high school journey, particularly in the moments shared with friends and bandmates.
Ries smiled brightly as he described his high school graduation as "pretty exciting," and expressed a sense of astonishment that the moment he had envisioned since his first day as a freshman was finally a reality.
He expressed his intention to join the Air Force after attending Allan Hancock College.
The graduation ceremonies of these Santa Maria Valley institutions were not just a celebration of thousands of students' academic and extracurricular achievements, but a testament to the resilience, determination, and spirit of a generation ready to make their mark on the world.
KSBY congratulates the class of 2024 and wishes these graduates the best in their future endeavors.
