WATSONVILLE—After their planned graduation on June 4 was canceled due to concerns of a violent protest, 11 graduates of New School Community Day School’s class of 2020 received their diplomas Monday in a drive-thru ceremony.
In addition to the students, Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees President Daniel Dodge Jr. and Assistant Superintendent of Secondary and Alternative Education Kristen Shouse joined the event.
The graduation was postponed on Thursday after a flier advertising a “barbaric protest” at the nearby Overlook Shopping Plaza was circulated on social media, causing police to bolster their forces and shopkeepers to board windows throughout the city.
New School’s Attendance Award and Watsonville Rotary Scholarship, Saray Soto-Reyes, said that moving to New School was one of the best decisions of her life.
“I love it, and I am so sad to have to move on,” she said. “In my 12 years of school, I have never seen a teacher actually care about their students as much as every member of New School’s staff cares about every student. New School is more like a second home than a school. New School has so many opportunities. It was definitely a life-changing experience for me.”
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Graduates
• Saray Soto-Reyes
• Student of the Year, Kimberly Lopez-Gonzalez
• Sportsmanship Award winner, Juan Angel Estrada-Gonzalez
• Brandon Gruber “Never Give Up” Award winners, Jacqueline Jennifer Ahumada & Jakelin Rocha Silonzochilt
• Sarahi Garnica-Merino
• Leticia Juarez-Ramirez
• Milagros Maciel-Prado
• Jason Merino-Garcia
• Javier Reyes-Sanchez Jr.
• Alexys Alex Rodriguez-Garcia
