Leaving Pioneer Valley High School to pursue various paths, members of the class of 2026 should remember to follow their hearts rather than take the easy path, Principal Paul Robinson told graduates Thursday.
Starting late Thursday morning and ending in the early afternoon, Pioneer Valley’s 20th annual graduation ceremony featured 664 graduates in black and teal caps and gowns.
“No matter where life takes you — the university, the workforce, the military or back in your community, remember this: You don’t need to have everything figured out,” he said. “You just need the courage to take the next step. So go out, follow your heart, be brave, get involved and be the golden guardian.”
The principal noted the class members’ excellence in athletics, arts, academics and more during the four years on the campus in northeast Santa Maria.
Student speakers included Angie Gonzalez Nolasco for Saludos a Los Padres, Jeffrey Brown and Kainoa Ilac with the salutatorian address, and Naveli Venegas for the valedictorian address.
Venegas spoke about hope, perseverance and character, noting that the future will include hurdles.
“We will be challenged, but those obstacles are lessons for us to grow, lessons to be proud of,” Venegas told her classmates. “At the moment when you are being challenged, it will be difficult to find a way to overcome it and it will be difficult to be hopeful.”
She challenged the graduates to ask for help as they embark on a new path and face difficulties.
“Remember that asking for help is a sign of resilience,” Venegas added.
Selia Carmona-Garcia, the Associated Student Body president, said it’s been more than 4,650 days since their first day of school. Along the way, they grew up in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We learned at a young age how quickly life can change. We missed moments we can never get back,” Carmona-Garcia said. “But we also learned how important people and memories really are.
“Life isn’t just about achievements. It’s about the people you love, the memories you create an the the person you become along the way.”
Victoria Medina Robles, the class of 2026 president, also addressed the crowd before she and her fellow class of 2026 officers recognized their advisor and presented a gift — new visual equipment for the gymnasium — to the school.
The gym has been the place where the graduates created countless memories, treasurer Isaac Gil said.
“In a world where so many of our memories are captured through screens, we wanted to leave behind something that helps future Panthers create memories of their own,” Gil said. “These screens will display achievements, celebrate milestones and bring our school community together for years to come.”
The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District celebrated the class of 2026 with ceremonies at Righetti and Santa Maria campuses in addition to Pioneer Valley on Thursday.
Across all four campuses, including Delta, a continuation school, the Santa Maria Valley district had 2,233 graduates in the class of 2026.