On Thursday, June 08th, we celebrated the Parlier High School graduation ceremony for the class of 2023. Hearing medals chime as students walked the stadium was a reminder of their accomplishments and the lengths they went through to achieve a long awaited dream.
In this anticipated ceremony, we heard many important messages from every speaker on our stage. Each speech touched on a different aspect of how important it is for students to recognize where they come from and how their environment doesn’t define who they are, but how they are a product of their own success.
Indeed, class of 2023, now that this milestone has been unlocked, each and every student has fulfilled their four years at Parlier High School, a second home in this hometown. A place where many hours were spent studying, practicing, rehearsing, making friends, and memories. A place where in one semester each student spent most of their waking life learning from up to seven different individuals with varying degrees of mastery in their chosen fields. Well, from a teacher’s perspective, students should know that these individuals can’t help but learn a bit about them, care for them, and respect the work they are there to do while trying to push each one to do more, to achieve their highest potential.
When students walked across the stage into the beginning of the rest of their lives, it was an emotional and powerful moment for them, for their loved ones, and for the people who tried their best to prepare them for their future. It was a final school year full of sitting in classrooms for an hour, collaborating towards bigger projects, and listening to plenty of advice from staff on campus. It was also a year that we hope they look back fondly on.
After walking one of the most important stages that life has to offer, every student becomes a citizen of their communities that will go out into the world to do something that their hometown will be proud of. Graduates, the time has come to put that knowledge into practice. If ever the path becomes daunting along the way, if ever anyone forgets their purpose or they need a reminder, remind them where to find us.
Until then, go out in the world and tell our story because as a very wise man once said, “no one can tell our story better than we can.” Be brave Mighty Panthers, always keep moving forward.
