Mission Scholars recently celebrated 26 graduating high school seniors from South Santa Barbara County at a gathering in Tucker’s Grove Park. More than 75 family members, friends, and supporters turned out to honor the occasion.

All 26 Mission Scholars will pursue higher education, with 85% attending four-year universities and 15% attending SBCC under the Promise Program.

Among the standout achievements: two scholars earned Edison scholarships worth $50,000 each, to pursue STEM degrees.

“Pursuing a college degree is about far more than the diploma itself,” Katie Kinsella, director of Strategy, Programs and Impact, told the graduates, setting the tone for the afternoon. “It opens doors you haven’t yet imagined and sets in motion possibilities that will extend well beyond your own life.

“We celebrate you as leaders in your schools, in your families, and in our community. You are the changemakers, trailblazers, visionaries and go-getters who are helping shape a brighter future for us all.”

The graduates themselves took the stage to share their hopes for the future, and offer their gratitude for the people who got them there.

Verner Guzman, headed to UCSB, and Kayleen Corona, bound for UC Berkeley, addressed the parents in the audience.

“We cannot celebrate without acknowledging our most crucial support system, our families who have been with us through every hurdle,” Corona said. “We want to thank you all for your endless love and guidance. For being there when we needed that extra push no one else could give.”

The celebration also recognized Mission Scholars’ newest college graduates, a cohort that has gone on to secure positions in finance in New York, and nursing and technology roles across California, with others continuing on to medical school.

Keynote speaker and Breakthrough Scholar Wendy Benitez — a Mission Scholars alumna and recent graduate of NYU Stern School of Business — offered words about the journey ahead.

“College is not just about finding a career,” she said. “It is about discovering who you are, and learning how to be confident and advocating for yourself, and realizing that you belong in spaces you once thought were not meant for you.”

Now in its seventh year, Mission Scholars continues to expand educational opportunities for students across Santa Barbara County — one graduate at a time. For more on Mission Scholars, visit www.missionscholars.org.