SALINAS VALLEY — The graduating seniors of Gonzales and Soledad high schools endured nearly two years of distance learning, wearing masks and social distancing, along with a slow transition to normalcy to reach the finish line last Saturday during their respective Class of 2023 commencement ceremonies.
Spartans persevere through pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic made their high school experience more challenging than previous graduating classes, but the Gonzales Spartans Class of 2023 was a resilient group that made the most of their time in school.
“This graduating class had to endure two years of distance learning because of Covid-19,” said Gonzales High School Principal Jer Soriano. “Basically, they lost out on half of the high school experience. That was the challenge. Socially, academically and just getting back to a normal high school environment.”
The June 10 graduation ceremony, the school’s 111th commencement, lasted for just over an hour that morning.
“The graduation ceremony went well and I was pleased how the MOT and Ms. Rodriguez and Ms. Sicarios implemented it,” Soriano said. “The event took an hour and five minutes, and we were able to beat the rain that was supposed to happen.”
According to Soriano, changes in the seating for the 184 graduates and school staff brought the experience closer to the track and to the community that attended the event.
“We wanted to change it up a little and make it more of an intimate celebration, being that we are a small school community,” Soriano said. “The process brought us closer to the stands and parents. We received a lot of support from Dr. Zamora, our superintendent, in assisting us with a better sound system to make the speeches and graduate presentations clearer.”
Commencement speakers included Class Valedictorian Valeria Tinoco-Perez and Class Salutatorian Iris-Marilu Hurtado.
Aztecs show true grit
About 340 students graduated Saturday during Soledad High School’s 22nd commencement that took place at Gene Martin Stadium.
“This class faced the most obstacles than any other graduating class in our history,” said SHS Counselor Kirk Cooper. “These students showed true grit and incredible resiliency.”
Ayanna Lee served as the class valedictorian this year, and Makaio Jimenez was the class salutatorian.
The graduating Aztecs Class of 2023 had 28 students receive more than $200,000 in college scholarship funds.
