WATSONVILLE—Leaders of this year’s 274 Pajaro Valley High School seniors say the class of 2020 will be remembered for its unwavering school pride and its crazed support of athletics.
Dennar Ocampo and Natalia Arroyo were at the forefront of both.
“A lot of people would say, ‘Oh, PV is not a good school,’” Ocampo said. “But I believe it’s one of the better schools because even though we don’t have a field or an auditorium, we think about the positives of having your friends there and we try to make it a better experience for everyone.”
The school and the incoming seniors will get its field in the coming year and the auditorium is winding its way through the building process. The school spirit, thanks to Ocampo, Arroyo and several others on the associated student body, will be there for the next crop of seniors, too.
Pajaro Valley High School graduates Dennar Ocampo (left)
and Natalia Arroyo left their mark through sports and leadership. — contributed photos
Arroyo, especially, pumped up the school spirit during her senior year. The four-year volleyball player served as the Commissioner of Athletics for ASB. In that role, she was in charge of a handful of students that coordinated senior nights and in-game performances and demonstrations for big games such as the Belgard Kup Game against rival Watsonville High School. She also helped organize the “Pink Out” games that worked in unison with breast cancer awareness organizations.
“School spirit is important, it helps us get through tough times,” she said. “I love the idea of planning everything and making high school very memorable.”
Ocampo also played volleyball. As a freshman, he helped lead the Grizzlies to a league championship—the first-ever for the boy’s program. That moment and season, he said, spurred his interest in student outreach and involvement. His teachers also guided him down that path, one filled with positivity and a glass-half-full mentality.
“Our staff and teachers pay attention to their students—they care for them,” he said. “Our teachers think about the positive things that can help our students become better people.”
Pajaro Valley High School staff announce names of graduates over a loud speaker. — Tony Nuñez/The Pajaronian
The Covid-19 pandemic sidelined the boys’ volleyball team this spring. Ocampo said the team had hoped to win another league title, and make a deep run in the section playoffs. Despite not being able to play his final season, Ocampo said the sport taught him valuable life lessons.
“I learned how to work with new people and how to make a bond with them, even if you may not know them,” he said. “It also taught me that you can learn from your mistakes. You can always improve, no matter what. You can’t think, ‘Oh, I can’t do this.’ You can do things to make yourself better and learn from that.”
Arroyo, too, said the school shutdowns have been tough to deal with.
“It’s very hard to find distractions when, obviously, your distraction was school and hanging out with friends,” she said. “But, through this time, I’ve learned self-care and focusing on yourself is so important and so good….It’s so important to love yourself.”
Ocampo and Arroyo said they will both attend Cabrillo College in the fall.
