Central Valley High School graduated its class of 2023 in an outdoor ceremony held Thursday evening which included tears, speeches, songs, laughs and farewells.
A total of 469 graduates marched onto a packed football field and filed into seats facing the platform before a crowd of proud parents, siblings, relatives and friends.
Alexis Andrade sang the National Anthem followed by Senior Class President Malika Zhu who gave the welcoming address. Also a salutatorian, she expressed gratitude for being able to be educated in the United States as the daughter of Chinese immigrants.
“Coming from a family of immigrants, my grandparents and parents have sacrificed their entire lives in a small province in China, to get me where I am today,” said Zhu. “From having no running water in their village, to taking all that they know to a foreign country in which this is all I know, to be blessed is an understatement. I went from doing my homework as the little Asian girl in the back of my family’s restaurant to being able to speak before you today. Without my mom and dad motivating me to continue to my education to build my future, I wouldn’t be half the person I am today. I am just one person speaking about my story, as many of our seniors here today have similar stories on minority families letting go of their lives in their home country for the future generation. This graduation is the fruit of our families’ sacrifices.”
Because 41 seniors were deemed salutatorian status and not all could deliver a speech, the honor went to Angelica Medrano Fregoso who won a contest. She recalled how the intended two-week shutdown of school in March 2020 ended up being an absence until 2021 “and boom just like that we came back to high school as upperclassmen.”
“These past four years have been a rollercoaster of emotions for us all. We have all truly been able to discover who we are as individuals,” said Medrano. “At Central Valley we didn’t just learn basic math skills or U.S. history, we were able to learn about ourselves and who we want to be moving forward. We discovered our passions, talents, and learned valuable life lessons. We were exposed to different cultures, and thanks to Central Valley I have felt as connected to my culture as ever before. There’s not many schools where you get to watch folklorico performances at lunch or even have your own Bhangra school dance team. High school isn’t really all about textbooks and school, it’s about the beginning of our growth that will continue forever.”
She ended by noting “We’ve shared laughter, smiles and even tears with the people around us today and as we all go our separate ways, it’s important for us to not see this as the end but as a new beginning … it’s time we take control and write a new chapter in our lives.”
The other class salutatorians were: Kaylee Almanza, Alyssa Amador, Lucia Bernal, Dillon Brush, Cuahtemoc Bush, Bella Carrera, Kevin Cervantes, Viviana Cordova, Bella Daoheuang, Gabriel Davila-Sanchez, Makayla Dennison, Jasnoor Dhaliwal, Carol Duran, Nicolas Gil, My Raquel Gonzale, Angel Gonzalez, Liana Guzman, Shivraaj Hans, Jesus Hernandez, Alexa Ibarra, Carlos Iniguez, Marlene Jaquez, Enrique Lepe, Micaela Martinez, Vanessa Mendoza, Yukari Mendoza, Jose Mendoza Renteria, Jake Olson, Samantha Perez Mendez, Delia Rangel, Alondra Robles, Isabell Samora, Jessica Sanchez, Raul Sarabia Zavala, Parkashjot Singh, Nitisha Singh, Allison Vang, Dyanna Villa Castro, Cristian Villegas and Malika Zhu.
Two seniors shared in valedictorian honors – Aleecia Silva and Michelle Soto – and delivered speeches.
“While we may have marked today as the finish line four years ago … today’s milestone shall be the stepping stone toward tomorrows,” said Silva. “Throughout the journey of our lives, we will come to accomplish more and even far more significant than our high school graduation. However, even those accomplishments will be the launching point for wherever we are meant to be. So while you take pride in how far you have come, have faith in how far you can go. After all, we did not come this far just to come this far, nor did our loved ones.”
Silva closed out her high school career with this thought: “To become the 1% in life, many of us strive to achieve as a future milestone, you must do the other 99% too. But in doing so, remember to always stay humble and kind, as your energy is your greatest currency.”
Michelle Soto delivered her address entirely in Spanish. Translated, in part she said: “Like many students tonight, my parents were only able to get a high school education in Mexico and I have seen firsthand the challenges of not having an education. So, as students, we use all these adversities as motivators for ourselves – the gift of a strong work ethic, the gift of resilience and the will to succeed.
“As my parents always tell me, don’t hang out with wolves that teach you to howl, better hang out with stars that will teach you to shine. Thanks to these stars, I am graduating as an empowered first generation Mexican woman. I have received two full scholarships to Columbia University in New York. And finish this year with a 5.0 grade point average.”
“I want to recognize the courage and determination of each one of you. I know many of us have had to learn a new language, adjust to a different culture, and fight stereotypes that have been thrust upon us. But here we are, graduating together and showing the world that we are capable of achieving what we set out to do. Every failure is one step closer to success. No one has the power to destroy your dreams, unless you allow it.”
Before members of the School Boarded handed out diplomas, Principal Casey Giovannoni reflected on the accomplishments of the class despite the adverse impacts from the COVID lockdown and distance learning.
“Academic education was not all that these students lost during their freshman and sophomore years,” Giovannoni said. “Students grow up in schools – physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. Due to the lack of exposure to their peers, their social maturation was put on hold. Opportunities for physical improvement via athletics, dance, and weight training were halted. Growth in leadership through sports, clubs, and academic ventures was ceased.
“Fortunately, the pandemic eventually came to an end, and these students were able to return to a normal school setting during their junior year. But there was a lingering question: would these students be as academically successful, as socially mature and as competitive as their peers that advanced through the public school setting before COVID-19? After all, the Class of 2023 had missed in-person learning for a considerable amount of time.
“When I look at these 469 young adults before me, I see no difference between them and their predecessors. I see intelligence, I see accomplishments, I see bright futures. I see leaders, I see workers, I see success stories. I see college, military, trade schools, and the workforce. I see nurses, teachers, soldiers, lawyers, truck drivers, electricians, accountants, police officers, business owners, and salesmen and women. I see nothing less than I have seen before. In fact, I think I see more.”
“To overcome the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic in their education, these students had to fight. They had to grind, to try, to stumble and fall and get back up again. And they did so until they were successful. In many ways, this may have been their greatest lesson–the understanding that, when faced with adversity, when one tries and tries and tries again, and keeps on trying, one will eventually achieve one’s desired result. After all, we do not grow from comfort–we grow from discomfort.”
The principal noted that nine percent of the seniors earned a cumulative high school grade point average of 4.0 or higher; 11% earned the California State Seal of Biliteracy; 83% will be attending college next school year (35% to four year colleges, and 48% attending to two-year colleges; 13% will be directly entering the workforce; eight graduates are joining the military; and eight have been accepted into a trade school.
“Talk about excellence! The numbers don’t lie. These 469 students are winners.”
