[Click here for a gallery of graduation photos.]
Santa Barbara High School’s 141st annual graduation ceremony boasted 553 Dons who marched one step closer to young adulthood with diplomas in hand Wednesday night at Peabody Stadium.
At one point during the event, the sea of olive and white graduates put their hands in the air and did The Wave and the cheering families and friends packed in the stands reciprocated for the Class of 2016.
Senior Class President Lily McIntyre delivered the first commencement speech and urged her peers to remember the lessons learned in and outside of the classroom.
“Like all phases of life, the curtains are being drawn on our time here at SBHS,” McIntyre said.
“Before we are sent off into the real world, I want to remind you to embrace all that we have experienced during our time here at Santa Barbara High School.”
Seniors Serafina Crannell and Celest Parra also gave commencement speeches and Parra delivered hers in Spanish.
“The next step for many of us is college,” Crannell said. “You all worked so hard to get accepted into college and it took an exceptional amend of hard work, motivation, drive and about 1,000 cups of coffee.”
Santa Barbara High School Principal John Becchio said he was proud of the graduates.
“I know each of you will make us here back home proud of you,” he said.
Diplomas were awarded by SBHS alumna and Santa Barbara Unified School District board member Monique Limón and school board member Gayle Eidelson, mother of a Class of 2016 Don.
— 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.
