Spirits were high at Carpinteria High School Wednesday evening as 147 seniors walked across the Memorial Stadium field and received their diplomas.

Speeches from Carpinteria Unified School District Superintendent Diana Rigby, Principal Gerardo Cornejo, salutatorian Massimo Bonilla-Zakosek and co-valedictorians Valeria Galilea Pulido and Edwin Hernandez Aviles kept the crowd cheering, laughing, and at times, in tears, as loved ones prepare to let their now-adults make their own paths.

“We are not the same students who walked onto campus for the first time four years ago,” Pulido said. “We have been stretched and challenged and broken even, and then put back together stronger. We have grown in ways we are only beginning to understand.”

She told her fellow members of the class of 2026 that their futures are unlimited, and encouraged them to “do something that scares” them.

“We have changed each other’s stories just by showing up, by being fully and perfectly, beautifully ourselves every single day,” she said.

“Every single one of us is a handprint on someone else’s heart.”

Rigby said students from the class of 2026 have been accepted at colleges across the country, from the University of California and California State University campuses, to private universities.

David Esquivel Belmonte, Rigby said, was one of only 30 nationwide 2026 Edison Scholars. He will attend the University of Southern California on a $50,000 scholarship.

“You are launching with purpose,” Rigby said. “As you look toward these bright futures, remember the words of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and activist Malala: ‘One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world.’ Over these past four years, you’ve been that power for each other.”

Cornejo said collectively, the class of 2026 has earned more than 1,200 dual-enrollment college credits.

Some, he said, will enter college as sophomores.

“They’ve competed with their heart, represented our community with integrity, and showed what it means to be a Warrior,” he said.

“…Tonight, as 147 of you walk across the stage, remember this: You are more than a moment. You are more than a grade, a game, a test. You are the sum of your experiences, your choices, your friendships, and your relationships.”

Bonilla-Zakoesk and Hernandez Aviles recognized those who pushed them to succeed.

Bonilla-Zakoesk dedicated his speech to his late grandfather, who passed away earlier this year, and thanked his parents for everything they did to get him where he was today.

“Many of us are leaving Carpinteria to pursue education, employment, or other adventures,” he said. “In light of this, I want to take the time to appreciate Carpinteria, our small beach town… this sense of community is largely something we take for granted.”

Hernandez Aviles said five years ago, his older sister was standing where he stood.

“Now, here I am in a place I thought was impossible five years ago,” he said, comparing himself to the biblical story of David and Goliath. “My classmates and friends, remember the giants you faced?… However, we will not let these giants define us, but rather refine us.”