It was a bittersweet sendoff for more than 630 Palisades High School seniors at the Stadium-by-the-Sea on Monday, marking the school’s 60th commencement.
Principal Dr. Pam Magee reminded attendees that the high school is known for its diverse student body from all over Los Angeles. Several students welcomed the audience in some of the many languages spoken on campus, including Arabic, Farsi, Serbian, Japanese, Hebrew, Portuguese, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Swedish and German. Magee welcomed the parents of the Class of 2014.
“You have trusted us with your children and together we have guided them to where they are today, ready to embark on the next phase of their educations, careers and lives,” she said.
Magee also credited faculty and counselors.
“Without our teachers and counselors this night simply would not be possible,” she said.
For many students and family members, reaching graduation day was a long, arduous journey.
Following the ceremony, Dawn Smith of West L.A. stood with her family along the track sideline fence holding a sign for her daughter Breaa, who just graduated. Of proud Belizean descent, Smith said Breaa, who will be attending L.A. Trade Technical College in the fall, is the youngest grandchild of seven in her family.
“We’ve waited for this day,” Smith said, adding that her mother passed away two years ago and is walking with Breaa in spirit.
Speaker Kevin Hernandez said during the ceremony that he told his first grade teacher at Pico Canyon Elementary School that he wanted to build jets and rockets, but admitted that his inspiration “got sucked into a black hole” when he started hanging out with the wrong crowds.
“My anger went down when I came to Pali,” Hernandez said. “There were many times this graduation day seemed like a fantasy. My friends and family never gave up on me when I was ready to give up.” His advice? Never give up and never be afraid to ask for help.
The class valedictorian is Ethan Sussman, who plans to attend Stanford University.
“It’s been a pleasure,” said Senior Class President Dominique Brown. “Get used to what’s coming next: paying bills.”
After tassels were turned and mortarboards were tossed high in the air, graduates took to the Quad to meet with friends and family, and many mingled before some last parting words with classmates.
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