A PROUD CROWD; SENIORS CELEBRATE AT COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES.

Byline: Mary Lou Aurelio Staff Writer

At a graduation ceremony at Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale on Thursday night, parents were praised and honored as much as students.

``To my parents, this is more for you than it is for me,'' said valedictorian Sona Chilingaryan. ``What I'm most proud of is that these two people are proud of me.''

More than 1,350 seniors from four schools in Glendale and John Burroughs High School in Burbank took that proud walk to the stage Thursday night to pick up their diplomas.

Susan Boegh, spokeswoman for the Burbank Unified School District, said an estimated 345 students graduated from Burroughs in a ceremony at Memorial Field.

From the Glendale Unified School District, graduations were held at Glendale and Crescenta Valley high schools, as well as Hoover.

At the Hoover ceremony held in the school's auditorium, Chakib Sambar, board of education member, urged the graduating class to be grateful to their parents and grandparents, many of whom are immigrants.

``This is the land of your dreams and opportunities,'' Sambar said. ``Look at your parents tonight and hug them and love them and thank them.''

Alice Petrossian, assistant superintendent of educational services, echoed those sentiments.

``Hoover graduates, there's a great deal to be proud of, be proud of your parents. Whether you know it or not, they're the reason you're here today.''

Chilingaryan paid tribute to the school's mixture of students from many ethnic backgrounds.

``I'm very proud of Hoover High School, of the diversity we enjoy, which is common to us but is rare to the world,'' Chilingaryan said.

Bridget Pearson, senior class president, said the difficulties students have and will endure will only strengthen them.

``Look at a diamond,'' she said. ``It is the result of extreme pressure.''

Teresa Baker and Bahmin ``Alex'' Farfaad-Iraji were the valedictorians at John Burroughs High, Boegh said.

At the other Glendale district schools, the valedictorians were:

Ani Khondkaryan, Glendale High;

Esther Kim and George Sun, Crescenta Valley High.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo: (1) Carole Collins, right, a teacher at Glendale High School, checks graduates for pagers and cell phones before Thursday night's ceremonies.

(2) A beach ball is served into the crowd at Burroughs High's graduation.

(3) Showing he is a true Scotsman, Burroughs grad Kalen Kayman shows off his kilt and his diploma.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News