Ending an admittedly unpredictable experience, the Orcutt Academy High School Class of 2022 bid farewell, but not before remembering a classmate who died of cancer.
“The Class of 2022 is no stranger to change,” salutatorian Jessica Rivera said, recalling the rollercoaster of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on learning and life. “We’ve all had to grow up so fast. There’s no shortage of dilemmas facing our generation, and they were all illuminated for us during the pandemic.”
Still, it would be easy to ignore the challenges ahead, she added.
“Change is scary. Growing up is scary. Saying goodbye is scary because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. I’m not going to tell you all to embrace change because it doesn’t matter if you do or don’t. The future is coming whether we like it or not,” Rivera said. “It’s time to grow up, it’s time to say goodbye, and I hope that it’s hard because goodbye would not be worth saying.”
Wednesday’s ceremony on the field at the campus in Old Town Orcutt marked the 11th commencement for Orcutt Academy High School’s Spartans.
The school’s Class of 2022 boasted 126 graduates who earned more than $330,000 in scholarships, leading Principal Rhett Carter to describe them as “an amazing group that I know will go out and do some amazing things in the service of others.”
“As a principal, I could not feel more proud of them for their resilience and courage in facing the challenges they have faced over the last four years. I am proud to have been part of each of their journeys,” Carter told Noozhawk.
Belinda Hernandez, senior class president, and Belen Roldan Vargas, senior class vice president, provided opening remarks near the beginning of the ceremony.
In an annual tradition, the school’s foreign exchange students also present flags to their American counterparts, receiving U.S. flags in exchange.
Valedictorian Leah Dominguez reflected on “the four extremely fast years” of high school, beginning with racing to class on her first day and getting lost on the small campus.
“It’s actually incredible that I was late because there are only 35 classrooms on campus. It’s extremely hard to get lost here,” she said, adding that she never imagined she would be giving a graduation speech four years later.
The ceremony included an emotional moment when teacher Ty Fredriks and graduates remembered a classmate who died of cancer in 2020.
With friends holding a large portrait of Noah Slocum, the teacher recalled that the teenager never gave up hope nor waivered in his love of family, friends and his God.
“Orcutt Academy was blessed with an amazing freshman in August 2018,” Fredriks said, adding he was fortunate to have him as a geology student.
“Noah Slocum was a bright light in my room, always positive and eager to make the class a better place. The friendships he forged and the impact he made on the people around him will long be remembered.”
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
