The Emeryville Connection: A news magazine published by the Emeryville Chamber of Commerce
Front Page
Record Number of 2008 ESS Graduates
57 GRADUATES RECOGNIZED; ALL TO FURTHER EDUCATION AT POST-SECONDARY SCHOOLS
On the night of June 6th, a record was set on the football field at Emery Secondary School.
It wasn’t for yards rushing or touchdowns.
On that warm, sunny evening, 57 seniors received their high school diplomas. It was the largest graduating class in Emery Secondary history.
“This is the class that took us to the level where we can take on any of the surrounding districts,” Superintendent Stephen Wesley told the graduating seniors. “The class of ’08 will be seen as the bench mark of academic excellence.”
The class contained 20 more graduates than last year. In addition, every one of this year’s graduates is moving onto higher education in the fall. Of the 57 graduates, 28 are attending four-year colleges or universities, 23 are enrolling in community colleges and six will be taking technical or vocational education courses.
The class of ’08 began its senior year with 61 students, so it lost only four students along the way. It also recorded the school’s lowest level of disciplinary problems in three decades. Discipline referrals were down more than 40 percent, suspensions decreased 60 percent and on-campus fights dropped more than 70 percent.
In addition, the graduates of ’08 boasted a mix of nationalities, including one senior born in Turkmanistan, three in India, one in Mexico, one in the Philippines, one in China and one in Afghanistan.
Dr. Antonio Cediel, Emery Secondary principal, told the graduates he will remember them for overcoming struggles and obstacles. He told them as they step into the adult world they should keep in mind all they have accomplished and the feeling of pride inside them on this graduation night.
“Take this image and bottle it. Put it in your pocket,” Cediel said.
More than 300 parents, relatives and friends attended the graduation ceremony. It was an event filled with balloons, flowers, laughter and cheers.
Salutatorian Himani Aggarwal encouraged her fellow graduates to venture into the adult world with conviction and inspiration.
“We, the class of 2008, must not fail to exhibit courage as we transfer from childhood to adulthood,” she said. “As graduates, we must promise never to underestimate ourselves.”
Valedictorian Ravnit Plaha urged the other graduating seniors to face challenges with strength and vigilance.
“A problem is your chance to do your best,” she said. “Success should be measured by our character and our ability to retain our dignity.”
Passion Anderson, the senior class president, complimented her classmates for overcoming a variety of obstacles to earn their diplomas.
“We showed everyone we can overcome any challenge,” she remarked.
There were solemn moments, too. The students took time to remember two seniors who couldn’t attend that evening’s ceremonies. Myalisha Dessman was in the hospital with a serious illness while Helena Miller was recovering from wounds she suffered after being shot in an incident at Eastmont Mall.
Retiring music teacher George Spencer was honored for his more than 20 years as an instructor at Emery Secondary.
Spencer gave the commencement address and then the record-setting 57 graduates walked to the stage to receive their diplomas to the cheers and flashing cameras of the crowd.
David Mills is a writer for The Emeryville Connection.
If you have a question or comment, please contact him at ecocnews@gmail.com
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