CLASS ACTS L.A. KIDS BID ADIEU TO HIGH SCHOOL LIFE.Byline: Jennifer Radcliffe, Lisa Sodders and Rachel Uranga Staff Writers Thousands of Los Angeles high school Los Angeles High School, founded in 1873, is the oldest public high school in the Southern California Region and in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Its colors are blue and white and the teams are called the Romans. seniors turned their tassels, tossed their caps and joined the ranks of those in the ``real world'' during emotional graduation ceremonies Thursday night. In bleachers decorated with balloons, flowers and banners, many of the students became the first in their families to earn high school diplomas. Up to 25,000 Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. seniors could graduate this summer. `'This is the next step in life,'' said 17-year-old Sal Lopez, a Sylmar High School Sylmar High School is a public school in the northeast San Fernando Valley in the Sylmar district of Los Angeles, California. Established in the 1950s, it is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, District 2, and serves more than 3,600 students in grades 9-12. graduate who plans to attend College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. . ``I want to be an example to my family.'' His mother - a Mexican immigrant from Sinaloa who never completed high school - stood next to him beaming with pride. ``He has a chance. A future,'' said his mother, Sylvia Guevara. ``I am so proud.'' With cameras and flowers in tow, more than 4,000 relatives and friends crowded into Sylmar High School's football stadium to cheer on the students. ``If you only knew what this meant,'' said Lorena Velazquez, tears welling up in her eyes, as she watched her 18-year-old daughter, Laken Tambunting, graduate. The ceremony brought Velazquez memories of her own graduation. Out of 10 siblings, she was one of only two to graduate. ``I understand what a big day this is,'' she said. For most of the graduates, it was not only an entrance into adulthood, but a test of their determination. ``If there is one thing you and I demonstrate is that we don't give up,'' Andy Canales told fellow classmates Classmates can refer to either:
At Los Angeles Valley College's stadium, throngs of family members and friends lined both sides to honor Ulysses S. Grant High School's 515 graduates, who wore silver caps and gowns. Anna Ohanian, 39, of North Hollywood clutched a bouquet of roses for her son, Mushey, 17. ``He is my firstborn first·born adj. First in order of birth; born first. n. The child in a family who is born first. Noun 1. firstborn - the offspring who came first in the order of birth eldest . It's a very special day for me,'' she said, adding that her son plans to attend Valley College, then transfer to California State University, Northridge CSUN offers a variety of programs leading to bachelor's degrees in 61 fields and master's degrees in 42 fields. The university has over 150,000 alumni. It's also home to a summer musical theater/theater program known as TADW (TeenAge Drama Workshop) that leads teenagers through an , to study computer science. ``I see the flag of my country and my heart is happy,'' she said, gesturing to the dozens of flags studding stud·ding n. 1. a. The wood framework of a wall or partition. b. Lumber cut for studs. 2. Something with which a surface is studded. the field. ``This is a wonderful country where anything is possible.'' Student body President Sivan Levaton-Carignan urged her fellow seniors to make an impact on the world. ``We will challenge ourselves to become what we dreamed. Today marks the beginning of those dreams,'' she said. Sandra Cruz, principal of Grant, said she was extremely proud of the graduates. ``We have had some students this year who have had to overcome severe family barriers,'' Cruz said, noting that one student didn't have a permanent home and still earned a 3.986 grade-point average. ``As we tell our students, this is only one milestone in your life but a milestone that's going to carry you and give you the impetus as you go on to college,'' Cruz said. At John F. Kennedy High School John F. Kennedy High School can refer to one of many schools in North America. The following list is ordered by state/province/territory and then municipality:
``Wherever life takes you, make sure you live it up,'' said Eunice Kim, one of the school's valedictorians. During a lighter moment in the ceremony, the graduates performed a flawless rendition of the wave. Standing in the front row of the crowd was 74-year-old Howard Scannel, who had driven from Twentynine Palms in the morning to watch his grandson, Matthew Bly-Scannel, graduate. ``I'm proud of him. I never thought he'd make it,'' said Scannel, his eyes filling with tears. Scannel, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (ăls`hī'mərz, ôls–), degenerative disease of nerve cells in the cerebral cortex that leads to atrophy of the brain and senile dementia. two months ago, said he's glad his grandson will have the opportunities that a high school diploma afford. ``Anyone who doesn't get a ticket out of school, they've had it,'' said Scannel, who dropped out of high school on his 17th birthday and ended up earning his GED GED abbr. 1. general equivalency diploma 2. general educational development GED (US) n abbr (Scol) (= general educational development) → in the Marines. Nearby, Hector and Susan Hipolito watched two of their children graduate. As Hector Hipolito Jr.'s and Monique Gaxiola's names were called, the Hipolitos released bunches of gold and white helium balloons with congratulatory messages. The Hipolitos, who became parents as teenagers, were overcome with pride. ``We want to make sure they have all the things we didn't,'' Hector Hipolito said. Jennifer Radcliffe, (818) 713-3722 jennifer.radcliffe(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Sylmar High graduate David Morales whoops Whoops Slang for the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS), which made the record books with the largest municipal bond default in history. Notes: During the 1970s and 80s, the WPPSS financed the construction of five nuclear power plants through the issuance of as he hugs a classmate after the school's commencement Thursday. (2 -- color) Eighteen-year-old Richtaedra Day gets ready for her turn to receive her Sylmar High School diploma on Thursday. Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer (3 -- color) Souzan Armer, 17, wears her school affiliation on her face as she proceeds down the Kennedy High field at the graduation ceremony. (4 -- color) Rows of students from the Class of 2004 line the football field at Kennedy High on Thursday. Joel P. Lugavere/Special to the Daily News (5 -- color) Graduates of Grant High School embrace at the afternoon commencement ceremony at Los Angeles Valley College LAVC redirects here. For the software library, see libavcodec. The university is adjacent to Grant High School. Often called "Valley College" or simply "Valley" by those who frequent the campus, it opened its doors to the public on September 12, 1949, at which time the campus was . Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer |
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