Natomas High School began its “Class of 2015” commencement ceremony Wednesday with what has become a campus tradition: More than a dozen students stepped to the microphone, one by one, to welcome the crowd in their native language.
As they spoke, the crowd heard a sampling of the diversity of cultures and languages that Nighthawk Nation is so proud of, including Tagalog, Punjabi, Japanese, Swahili, German, French, Spanish, Russian and American Sign Language.
Wednesday’s commencement ceremony honored 200 Natomas High School seniors, graduating from a campus that Principal Mark Beebe characterized as one of the most diverse in the nation.
“You are now part of a legacy of Nighthawk Nation that is firmly entrenched at Natomas High School,” Beebe told the graduates.
Beebe traced some of Natomas High’s greatest accomplishments this year, ranging from fielding a winning football team to organizing an “Invitational Field Day” for scores of special-needs students and achieving the highest first-time passage rate of California’s high school exit exam in Nighthawk history. About 40 seniors have been accepted into four-year colleges.
Beebe advised the graduates that “change is a constant” but to meet every challenge with dignity, kindness, hard work and a willingness to give back to their community.
“Never give up, never quit – and follow your heart,” Beebe said. He also advised the Class of 2015 to “be bold, be brave, be determined and stand resolute.”
Beebe ended his speech with another campus tradition.
“It’s a great day to be a Nighthawk!” he yelled, and the graduating class responded by shouting back at him – “Caw!”
Gunjan Thapa, giving the “Senior Class Speech,” reminded his classmates how far they had come since entering 9th grade “confused, lost but hopeful.”
Now the future lies ahead for these 200 Nighthawks – attending and completing college, getting a job, getting married – and “we’re all going to do great,” Thapa said.
Valedictorian Katelyn Marie Hunter-Lorda drew analogies between the graduating class and the big, wondrous, scary Pacific Ocean near Newport Beach that she had marveled at during a class trip.
“No matter which direction we choose, the possibilities are endless, just like the ocean,” she told graduates.
The valedictorian ended with a bit of advice for classmates: “As you sit there looking at your own personal Pacific Ocean, dive right in,” she said.
