WATSONVILLE — About 300 seniors from Pajaro Valley High School will march into Carl Connelly Stadium at Cabrillo College on June 8 to graduate and begin the next phase of their life.
Some will continue their education, others will begin job training or immediately begin working.
“Not one of these kids is the same,” said Pajaro Valley High School principal Alison Niizawa. “They each have their own strengths, and their own goals.”
Whether a student excels in academics, athletics or other extracurriculars, Niizawa said it’s important to her and the other teachers and administrators that they “spread the praise,” to encourage students to follow their own path.
Two of these students are Yesenia Zarco-Lima and Alec Moran. Both spent all four years of high school at PV High, and are eagerly looking ahead.
“I’ve really started thinking about the future,” Moran said. “Graduation itself is just one day out of my life. But after that, there is so much to do.”
Moran, who will be attending Cabrillo College in the fall, plans to eventually transfer to Chico State and study Agriculture Business.
“There are lots of job opportunities in agriculture here,” he said. “You know how important it is when you grow up in this area.”
Zarco-Lima is planning to start classes at Monterey Peninsula College. She has been interested in studying Criminal Justice since freshman year.
“Honestly, I’m pretty nervous,” she admitted, “but it’s also really exciting to start something new.”
Both Zarco-Lima and Moran said there was plenty about Pajaro Valley High they will miss. Not only their friends, classmates and teammates (Moran played football all four years), but many of the teachers as well.
“Mr. Benham, who teaches Economics and World Civilizations,” Moran said. “He was so much fun and really easy to talk to.”
Moran and Zarco-Lima also mentioned mathematics teacher Aurelia Donnelly, English teacher James Lucas and social science teacher Micah Powell.
“More than anything, I will miss the people,” Zarco-Lima said.
On June 8, Zarco-Lima and Moran will join their classmates to celebrate their completion of high school. The ceremony, which will be held in Aptos at Carl Connelly Stadium at Cabrillo College, will begin at 12:30 p.m. After the procession of graduates, teachers and faculty, valedictorian Nuria Saralegui and salutatorian Jun-Jun Tangonan Castillo will address the class of 2017.
“We all had different experiences,” Moran said. “But being at PV High was a great time for me. I will miss it.”
