San Marcos High School Class of 2026 graduates, donning blue and red, bid farewell to the high school on Wednesday in a ceremony remembering their past and anticipating their future.

The high school’s Warkentin Stadium was packed with supporters cheering on the 485 graduates as they filed onto the field, many looking up the stands hoping to see their loved ones. 

Hadley Schmidt, senior class president, highlighted the graduates’ achievements. 

The list included: 24 students will be college student-athletes; four were accepted in theater and music university programs; 78,000 combined community service hours; 150 students scored above grade level on state testing; 187 students graduated from specialized academies; and 53 students received scholarships through the Santa Barbara Foundation. 

The ceremony began with a moment of silence, led by Principal Dare Holdren, in memory of classmates Tayden Tomblin and Samantha Ortiz, who died during the school year. 

The Tomblin and Ortiz families accepted posthumous diplomas. 

“Samantha and Tayden were amazing people who touched many hearts,” Holdren said. “Their passing has been a reminder to all of us the preciousness of life.”

Tomblin died in November 2025 in a skateboarding accident in Los Angeles. 

Ortiz died in January from an undiagnosed case of cancer, the high school’s newspaper reported. 

San Marcos High students held memorials to honor their classmates during the school year, and they were remembered by the graduates on Wednesday. 

“We miss them so much, and even though they can’t physically be here with us today we know they are here in spirit,” Schmidt said.

Isabella Ratliffe, Associated Student Body (ASB) president, remembered Tomblin and Ortiz in her speech. 

“I know every graduate has a story. Some of you battle anxiety, some of you lost someone you love, we all lost two of our beloved classmates, Tayden and Samantha,” Ratliffe said. 

She also spoke of her own story and challenges.

“I grew up in a home affected by addiction,” she said. “In the sixth grade, I watched my mom get arrested in my own home.”

Ratliffe remembered wishing and praying that things would turn around. 

“Eventually I realized that the saving wasn’t going to come from somewhere else, it had to come from me,” she said. 

She congratulated the graduates who faced hardships, as she once did, and told them it doesn’t define them.

“When life inevitably challenges you again, and it will, I hope you remember this moment,” she said. “You have already survived challenges that once felt impossible.”

She encouraged her fellow graduates to try new things and to not be afraid of failing or being bad at them. 

For Dayana Ramirez Hernandez, her challenge came after immigrating from Mexico and enrolling at San Marcos High in 2024. 

In a bilingual speech, she recalled feeling defeated after her first day of classes, not understanding what the teachers were saying.

“I told my mom, ‘I am not going to achieve anything,’” she said.

But, after some words of encouragement from her mom, she soldiered on.

“San Marcos has given us the tools to fight for our dreams,” she said. “What is destined for our lives will find us.”

The Santa Barbara Unified School District also said goodbye to its Student Board Member, Carlos Taft-Vasquez. Superintendent Hilda Maldonado bestowed a sash upon him in recognition of his work. 

“Often being the adult in the room, bringing clarity when we may all be missing it, but most of all he kept his role’s mission at heart, centering the student voice in everything he does,” Maldonado said.

Taft-Vasquez will attend Yale University in the fall and told his classmates to be the type of person who stands up for others.

“At a time when hatred is tolerated and indifference is easy, be the person who fights back,” he said. 

Holdren took the students down memory lane before presenting them with their diplomas. 

He reminisced about theater and talent shows, campus community milestones like establishing World Culture Day, and achieving academic and athletic success, among others.

“There are so many moments I will cherish forever,” he said.

Holdren said that while graduation speeches are supposed to offer advice or tips, he said he learned more from the graduating class.

“The world needs you now, and I am confident you are ready for the world,” he said. 

Have a graduate you’d like to celebrate?

Noozhawk invites families, friends and graduates to share their academic achievements with our community. Click here to submit a graduation announcement to our Class of 2026 Section.