McLane High graduation brings out the emotions with special tributes
The McLane High School community showed its warmth with its reaction to public tributes to individuals who have been instrumental to the southeast Fresno school.
First, there was a salute to the head basketball coach and campus security assistant Thomas Williams, who died in March. Principal Brian Wulf recalled Williams as a bigger-than-life presence on campus, who always knew how to motivate students.
After Williams died, a bagpiper walked through the campus during a rainstorm in tribute.
Wednesday night, the inaugural Thomas Williams Student Leader awards were given to graduates Janaya Love and Jada Henderson Díaz.
Concepción Pacheco Cruz, one of McLane’s 29 valedictorians, delivered the second tribute during her speech.
Pacheco Cruz, who spoke about having a “middle school mindset” and feeling “very uncomfortable” entering high school, saved her tribute at the end of her 5-minute speech.
“I’d like to congratulate my dad for becoming a resident of the United States on May 24, 2022,” said Pacheco Cruz as she wiped tears from her face. “I know how hard it is being an undocumented individual.”
She then continued in Spanish. “Muchas felicidades papá. Estoy muy orgullosa de ti.”
The applause picked her up as she continued to wipe tears from her face. Pacheco Cruz then finished by telling families waiting for immigration documents to not lose hope.
The outdoor ceremony – the only one of the full-service high schools in the Fresno Unified School District – did not feature fife and bagpipe music for the Highlanders, but it did have fireworks, sparklers and plenty of videos on the Jumbotron on the east side of the stadium.
School trustee Beva Islas soaked up the diversity she saw in the 378 graduates.
“I see your cords, I see your medals, I see your serapes, I see your Kente clothes. I see your traditional Hmong stoles, I see your rainbows, right?” said Islas. “All the rest is beautiful. It’s just beautiful. And you are an example of the diversity and excellence for our community, and that’s worth celebrating.”
The other valedictorian speaker, Alexis López, spoke about how the graduating class turned “I can’t” into “I can and I will!”
“We chose to have a growth mindset,” said López.
McLane High School
June 7, 2022
McLane High Stadium / Fresno
Latino enrollment: 74.7%
Latino valedictorians: Isaiah Moses Martínez, Edwin Rodríguez, Anthony Mendoza, Adela Pacheco González, Jackelyn Rivas Pimental, Phillip James López, Andrea Martínez Díaz, Alejandra González, Yocelyn Yahaira Rodríquez, Valeria González, Diana Cervantes López, Dayanna Preciado, Adrián Genaro López, Krystal Ramos Duenas, Concepción Yaneth Pacheco Cruz, Alexandra Rubio, Alexis Nicole López, Lourdes Araceli Salas, Franchesca Villa Rocha, Rogelio Huerta-Flores, Sianna Song Delgado, Steven Christopher Fuerte, Kasandra García Sánchez
Highlight of ceremony: The stadium lights went off as planned near the end of the ceremony so that graduates and spectators could turn their cell phone lights on to groove to music, but the lights remained off as parents and others rushed onto the field thinking the graduation ceremony was completed. The lights never came back on, so the rest of the program was done in the dark.
Quote: “I ask that you be the person you were in your high school years who still tries after failure, after frustration, after disappointment, after exhaustion and heartache. Be the person who builds the courage to believe that a new attempt can bring a new outcome. Be the person who still tries. I ask that you never live the same day twice,” said valedictorian speaker Alexis López.