Coalinga High Class of 2022 remembered for “its vivacious spirit and resilience”
.JPG "Coalinga High School graduating seniors walked into the stadium holding red balloons for the start of the commencement ceremony at Chuck Garten Memorial Bowl on June 2.")
When Luna Rodríguez was asked to write the valedictorian speech, she wondered why she should speak for her peers as they celebrated the milestone of graduating from Coalinga High School.
As Rodríguez stood at the podium at Chuck Garten Memorial Bowl on Thursday night (June 2), she said it was a day that “signifies so many different things for each and every one of us graduating tonight.”
About 266 seniors walked into the stadium holding red balloons as family and friends cheered for them.
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“Last week my ninth-grade letter to myself was returned to me. In it I wrote, “I hope that when I am reading this in 3 years, I have little to no regrets about the choices I have made in these four years, but most importantly I hope I am valedictorian,” said Rodríguez, one of the 18 valedictorians who graduated. “One might say I am a sucker for a title.”
Rodríguez, who was born in Hanford and raised in Coalinga, will go to UCLA in the fall and major in human biology with her goal of becoming a dermatologist.
Rodríguez, who has a 4.39 GPA, said that even though she did achieve her goal of becoming valedictorian, “it was by far the least important achievement of the last four years.”
“I mean after today it will remain nothing more than a title. It will never be as valuable as the friendships and memories we have made together; memories that will transcend this next phase of our life,” said the 18-year-old Rodríguez, who is a second-generation college student.
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“Just last year our whole life was monitored from a computer screen. Friendly faces seemed unfamiliar. But as schools opened up and we all came back, the class of 2022 was revitalized,” Rodríguez said of going thought part of her high school career in the middle of a pandemic as they reflect on losses that only amplified their school spirit.
Rodríguez said the graduating class will be remembered “for its vivacious spirit and resilience. Go Toads!”
Coalinga High School
June 2, 2022
Chuck Garten Memorial Bowl / Coalinga
Latino enrollment: 86.2%
Latino valedictorians: Cristina Cisneros, Layla Corona, Nayeli Escalante, Frieda Hernández, Karely Hernández, Erin Mia Ituralde, Jennifer Jiménez, Daniela Márquez, Jessica Mendez, Lillian Moreno, Miguel Reyes-Juárez, Luna Rodríguez
Highlight: The entire Coalinga High School graduating Class 2022 released more than 250 red balloons in memory of senior Hazel Medina who would have graduated with them followed by a moment of silence.
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Quote: “This chapter of your life may be closing but your story is just beginning. You have created unbreakable bonds and have formed unforgettable relationships and memories that will last a lifetime. I have no doubt that each one of you will go off and do great things. Always believe in yourself. Stay safe. And no matter what your path is, I know you’re bound to change the world. I am so proud of you,” Sheila Díaz, principal.
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Esta historia fue publicada originalmente el 3 de junio de 2022, 0:43 p. m..
