Dressed in caps and gowns, hundreds of beaming graduates of Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta celebrated an in-person commencement ceremony Wednesday afternoon at Scott O'Leary Stadium on campus.

People in the stands cheered for the graduates as they marched into the venue.

The students strolled around the track to their seats on the football field as the DPHS band performed “Pomp and Circumstance.”

Many masked graduates, wearing the school colors of gold and navy blue, waved to their friends and families wearing face coverings and physical distancing in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines.

The Class of 2021 has 515 graduates, Principal Bill Woodard told Noozhawk.

Scroll down to watch the graduation via DPNews' YouTube channel.

DPNews livestreamed the graduation so that people could tune in remotely.

In his opening remarks, Woodard offered a moving speech.

“We are here today to share stories, reflect and bask in this rite of passage, so that becomes a lasting memory of your high school experience,” he said.

Graduates march into Scott O’Leary Stadium at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta on Wednesday afternoon for the commencement ceremony. (Brooke Holland / Noozhawk photo)

Several senior moments and high school traditions were cut short by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

DPHS students returned to classrooms for in-person instruction in late March after about a year and a week of distance learning from home, with some students participating in a virtual distance-learning option.

“The clouds lifted,” Woodard said. “Just before spring break, in-person school began, and you, the students of the Class of 2021, found a way for those memories to flow.” 

Members of the Dos Pueblos High School Class of 2021 walk to the stadium for graduation. (Brooke Holland / Noozhawk photo)

A new tile mural, sponsored by the Dos Pueblos High School Foundation, was recently installed on the wall of the school gymnasium just in time for graduation. The hand-painted mural is dedicated to the Class of 2021, and the graduating seniors worked on the project this spring.

“The challenges of your high school experience will always be front and center in your memory,” Woodard told the graduates. “The lasting legacy of your resilience through it all is the tile mural placed on the gym, as a reminder to all who come after you to make sure to appreciate and take advantage of their time here at DP.”

Student speakers included DPHS Associated Student Body president Nathan Vance, a member of the Class of 2021, and seniors Mikayla Ramirez, Sydney Carlson and Jake Richard, as well as senior class president Mateo Adame Perez.

Ramirez began by reflecting on finishing her final year of high school during the COVID-19 crisis.

“Exactly 1,377 days ago, we began a new chapter in life,” Ramirez said. “The chapter called high school, and here we are ready to put this chapter behind us. When we were told that we were the generation of change, I don't think any of us can imagine the type of change that we would face today — remote learning, social distancing and wearing masks to stay safe.”

The DPHS Class of 2021 is resilient, Ramirez said.

“I firmly believe we have formed one of the most resilient classes DP has ever seen,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez urged her classmates to “encourage those around you, and respect everyone, but most of all, find your purpose.”

“If you find purpose and meaning in one part of your life, it will grow in every area of your life,” she said. “We are the generation of change, but also let us be the generation of empathy, perseverance and dedication.”

Ramirez told her fellow graduates that “wherever this next chapter leaves you, and wherever you end up, you have a home. This is your home. We are Chargers, and that will never change.”

Dos Pueblos High School graduate and Associated Student Body president Nathan Vance delivers the opening remarks for Wednesday’s graduation ceremony. (Brooke Holland / Noozhawk photo)

Vance told his peers, “It’s now time for us to take the next step.”

The more than two-hour commencement ended with names of the graduates read aloud over the speakers, and the Class of 2021 moved the tassels on their caps to mark their new status as Dos Pueblos High School graduates.

The graduation also featured performances by the DPHS Jazz Choir and the 55th annual commencement bell ring by ASB president David Jeong, a member of the DPHS Class of 2022. 

Diplomas were handed out by Santa Barbara Unified School District trustee Laura Capps, along with John Becchio, assistant superintendent of human resources for the district, plus Patricia Madrigal, executive director of partnerships and community engagement, and Anne Roundy-Harter, director of secondary education.

Wednesday marked the first in-person graduation at Scott O'Leary Stadium. 

Last year's graduates drove through the campus in their decorated cars because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.

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