001Wow. Yes. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Aaho High School graduation ceremony. We are honored to have you here to celebrate the accomplishments of the class of 2026. Before we begin, we ask that you take a moment to review a few important reminders. Please silence all cell phones and electronic devices now to avoid any interruptions. Guests with balloons, please be seated along the sides to avoid blocking the view. Remain seated throughout the ceremony. If you need to step out, please do so quietly and remain speakers. We kindly ask that you hold applause until all graduated students have received their diplomas. This allows each graduate's name to be clearly heard and recognized. You are welcome to take your own photos. The front row is reserved for this purpose. At the end of the ceremony,
002please remain seated until all graduates have exited the auditorium. Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us create this smooth and respectful experience for everyone. The ceremony will begin shortly. They Ladies and gentlemen, please rise as we welcome the graduating class of 2026. They're going backwards. How about that? Woo! It's a good special. Wow. Hallelujah. Let's go. I can't. Woohoo! He's in. Good evening families, faculty, staff, board members, and honored guests. My name is Mercy Anod and I have the privilege of serving as the principal of our schools and your host for tonight's celebration. Let's begin our evening by standing together for the pledge of allegiance to be led by Morgan Olson. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation
003under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. It is with great joy and deep pride that I welcome you all to the high school graduation ceremony. a momentous occasion where we celebrate the accomplishments, growth, and potential of the graduating class of 2026. To our parents, guardians, families, and friends, thank you for being here tonight. Your love, your sacrifices, and your constant support have helped bring our graduates to this incredible milestone. This celebration is just as much yours as it is theirs. To our teachers and staff, thank you for your tireless dedication, your encouragement, and your belief in every student. Thank you for your commitment to shaping minds, guiding hearts, and preparing our students for life beyond this campus. Moments like this, moments like tonight are not only about celebrating where you are, but also
004imagining where you can go. Four years ago, the class of 2022 walked the same stage. Now, we already have several alumni from that class who have earned their college degrees pursuing fields such as nursing, accounting, marketing, physics, mathematics, computer science, pre-law, and criminal justice with one continuing on to a PhD program. I am seeing at least two of them here tonight. Their success is a powerful reminder that the journey does not end here. It is only the beginning. And to our graduates, congratulations. You've made it. Tonight, we honor your hard work, your perseverance, and your transformation over the years. High school is a journey filled with challenges, discoveries, and growth. And each of you has walked that path in your own unique way. You've adopted, overcome, and achieved. Along the way, you've learned more than
005what textbooks could ever teach. You've learned resilience, integrity, empathy, and the value of community. You've grown not only in knowledge, but in character. The tradition of sharing one powerful word began last year with my very first high school graduation as principal for the class of 2025. That word was grit. Grit. Grit. The relentless drive that keeps you moving forward no matter how tough the road gets. It's passion combined with perseverance. It's what pushes you to rise after a setback. To keep going when others might stop and to stay committed by long-term goals, even when the finish line seems far away. Tonight for the class of 2026, the powerful word I leave with you aside from grit is courage. Because no matter what comes next, college, the workforce, the military, or a path still unfolding, you
006will face moments of uncertainty and unknown. You will need the courage to try when success is not guaranteed. The courage to fail and keep going. The courage to stand alone when it's easier to follow the crowd. And the courage to believe in yourself even when others may doubt you. Courage doesn't mean you won't feel afraid. It means moving forward anyway. It's choosing growth over comfort, purpose over fear, and possibility over doubt. Carry this word with you, not just tonight, but into your every next step you take. Like those who came before you, your journey will require grit and courage. And we have no doubt you are ready. Once again, welcome to all and to our graduating class. We are very proud of you. Let's begin the celebration of your achievement. Each year we recognize students
007who have achieved the highest levels of academic excellence throughout their high school journey. Tonight, we are proud to recognize the three exceptional members of the graduating class who have earned the highest academic honors based on their weighted grade point averages. These distinctions, validictorian and salvadictorian, represent a consistent commitment to academic excellence, including the successful completion of rigorous AP and dual enrollment courses. Our validictorians have earned the highest weighted GPA of the graduating class. This honor reflects an extraordinary level of academic achievement and personal discipline. Whether in the classroom, in extracurricular pursuits, or through service to the school community, these students have consistently set the bar high and exceeded expectations. Please join me in congratulation congratulating our first co- valadictorian, Princess Montes. Good evening faculty, staff, families, friends, and most importantly the class of 2026. It
008is an honor to stand before you today and share a few words. It also feels a bit strange because this is not my class I grew up with. But I know enough to know that this class is filled with people who will accomplish incredible things in life. Although this journey may have felt short, it has still been meaningful and unforgettable. Life has a way of placing people exactly where they need to be. even when they do not understand it at first. Sometimes the moments we least expect end up shaping us the most, teaching us resilience, growth, and the importance of appreciating every opportunity we are given. I want to dedicate the speech to the most important people in my life, my family. My mom, my dad, my sisters, and even my new pet, Lana. I
009am beyond grateful to have him in my life. Our superintendent, Dr. Zero, once asked me, "What is your why? What is your purpose of showing up every day?" At this moment, I would like to ask my family to please stand. >> They are my wife. They are the reason I am standing here today and the reason I was able to make it this far. Their unconditional love and support have given me the strength to keep going even during difficult moments. I could stand here all night and talk about the countless sacrifices they have made for me, but no words could ever fully describe how much I appreciate and love them. for And to my little sister, Angelie, my biggest supporter ever. Growing up with you and experiencing high school with you was all I could
010ever ask for. You genuinely made it so memorable. I can't believe we actually hated each other when we were six. And now I can't be away from you. my sister and my best friend all in one. You motivate me to keep achieving things in life. Thank you for always being there. I love you so much. >> I love you. >> And my sister Alexa, who is now a busy woman. I actually wasn't expecting her to come here today. She told me she would miss it, but she's here. She's right there. She's my role model. I wake up to her every day because she demonstrates strong, perseverance, and confidence. She is exactly who I want to be as I step into college. Even though she's not here, well, she is now. I want to tell you
011that I love you and that I am so happy that you're here. Before I finish, I also want to thank all the parents, grandparents, families, and loved ones who are here tonight. Your support, encouragement, and sacrifices helped every student sitting here reach this moment. This achievement belongs to you as well. So, please not for you. And finally to the class of 2026, no matter where life takes you next, never stop believing in your ability to grow and overcome challenges and become the p the person you're meant to be. One piece of advice, just be authentically yourself. Congratulations and thank you. We are also proud to recognize our second co- validictorian Keller Mendes. Good evening graduates, family, friends, faculty, and alumni. My name is Kari Mendes Rodriguez, and I'm extremely honored and grateful to stand here
012today as one of the valadictorians for the class of 2020. I would not be on the stage without the support of my loved ones. When people look at a at a graduating class, they see accomplishments. They see GPA, awards, scholarships, athletes, clubs, and titles. But what people don't always see are the moments behind those accomplishments. They don't see the late nights staring at a computer screen trying to finish assignments when all you wanted to do was sleep. They don't see the stress over deadlines, the tears after hard days, the pressure we put on ourselves, or the moments we quietly wondered if we were good enough. Today I wanted to split my speech into two parts. One dedicated to my family and supporters and one dedicated to my fellow graduates. For this part of my speech,
013I will talk solely in Spanish. To my family, would you please stand so I can honor you? Fore! Foreign! Foreign! foreign speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech. scenario. That's what I mean. Soon. Gracias. for his father. Gracias. Cynthia. Now on to the second part of my speech. I would like to thank every single graduate sitting here today. In one way or another, we've all interacted, became friends, laughed together, or spent time together. I cannot thank you enough for your company throughout these years. On our senior trip, there were so many memories we made together, we grew closer and got to be kids again. Going on scary rides and screaming together made me realize how comfortable we are with one another. Filled with love, hate, and curfew. Growing up in a small town like Alo taught me
014something important. Sometimes opportunities don't disappear. You have to create them yourself. I watched my classmates become athletes, leaders, artists, workers, and role models. I saw people step outside their comfort zones and discover strength they didn't know they had. To our teachers and staff, thank you for being more than educators. Thank you for believing in us even when we didn't believe in ourselves. Thank you for your patience, guidance, and support. Some of you have impacted our lives in ways you may never fully realize. Mr. Paulo, Miss Scodio, Miss Fernandez, Miss Granny, Mr. Romo, Miss Mano, Mr. Maningo, Miss Bautista, and Miss Blanchard, thank you for helping us through through these years. Thank you for putting up with us and encouraging us. I know students can be short with you sometimes, but we all appreciate everything you've
015done for us. Whether it was fixing our grades before grade checks, helping us make up hours, or giving us extra credit. Thank you for having the kindness in your hearts to help us succeed. All of our memories have been together. Homecoming, sports games, float building, senior sunrise, senior assassin, prom, concessions, and senior ditch day. I want us all to take a moment and look around. Look around. These are the people you have spent most of your life with. From preK all the way to 12th grade. We grew up together. We watched each other change, struggle, succeed, and become the people we are today. We all grew to love one another. We've gone through different friendships, different sports, different problems, and different sacrifices. But somehow we all ended up in the same place, sitting here today
016wearing these caps and gowns. because every single one of us pushed through. Sometimes you never truly realize how strong you are until you look back and see everything you survived. We have spent years dreaming of leaving high school, but now that we're here, I want to go back. I want to relive those beautiful memories we shared. We all wanted to grow up and become independent people, but we forgot that we were living moments that we would one day miss. People say one of the saddest parts of graduation is realizing that we that we may never all be together again. But I don't want to believe that completely. I believe many of us will stay in touch, stay friends, and continue being part of each other's stories. We have grown from babies into young adults standing
017at the beginning of our new chapter in our lives. To our underassmen, I know that at least one graduate sitting here has helped you or impacted you in some way. I know I will miss my kids when I leave, but I cannot wait to see all of you grow into the people you are meant to become. I cannot wait to see the people we become because I know every graduate sitting here has a dream. A dream to succeed and a dream to live life to the fullest. To quote Isaia Costa, "These the last time, the last time we will all sit in one room together as classmates. the last time we walked these halls as students, the last time we experienced this moment together. But while But while this may be the last time for
018us as students, it is also the first time for everything else. The first day of our future. Class of 2026, we made it. Thank you. Thank you. Our solo has earned the second highest graded GPA of the graduating class. This student's record speaks to years of focus and responsibility. Please help me welcome and congratulate our salvator Morgan God. Hello parents, teachers, staff, family, and friends. My name is Mora Cuadres, and I'll be speaking from the heart. So bear with me in my voice starts to crack or if you see me getting tear yet. I've been able to get up on the stage since I was in kindergarten and I still get shy. I'm especially tense right now because I'm Saladictorian. It's hard to describe in words what I'm feeling right now. It's surreal to me
019that we are graduating. We will all start new friendships, new routines, new lives. I've been here since kindergarten and I've grown up with my class. So, even though I may have not been everyone's friend, it feels strange that after graduating, most of us may only hear from each other on social media. It's not a stretch to say that we are stepping into adulthood and maybe even 10 years from now, I'll see some of my classmates posting their engagements and their own kids. If you're a student right now, please appreciate every minute of your time in school. I'm a first generation graduate and I'll be the first in my family to attend college and finish it. So, I'm incredibly pleased to have earned the title of salad to demonstrate not just my hard work, but the
020people around me, too. I want to thank teachers here at all his schools like Mr. Mr. B, Mr. Chichi, Miss Cavayto, Mr. Wolf Graham, Miss Sabah, Miss Fernandez, Mr. Paulo, Miss Gorio, Miss Maningo, Delaware, Francis, Miss Romeo, Miss Pini, and everyone else who has taught me. I appreciate all my teachers dearly. Mr. B helped me with part of my college application process, and I probably wouldn't have gotten scholarship without him, let alone gotten accepted into eight different colleges, if we're being honest. Six of them being out of state. Miss Fernandez kept me on my toes and she always supported me as the student council president even when I felt like I was going crazy with all the task. I get that little fuzzy feeling inside especially with Miss Scodio. Thank you for being such a
021great science teacher that you lit up my passion towards a career for biology. I've always loved science but you made me appreciate every aspect of it. Staff like Daniel and Ken and Carlos made it fun to walk the halls. I'll miss Daniel telling me to get back to class when I go on my daily bathroom days. Every adult I offer schools has always been so kind and I hope you guys keep it that way. If my family could please stand up for a second. Finally. Hold on. I spent my whole senior year saying I wanted to leave high school already since I was so stressed out this year. But the truth is, I wish we all didn't have to meet new people and drift apart. I feel like the most liked of everyone I've ever
022loved and I've loved all of you and your presence. I believe this is the most bittersweet feeling I've ever felt in my life. After all, you guys have been in my life since kindergarten for the most part. And these people people are all I've ever known. I wish you all the best and I hope you all succeed. Whether you take different paths than what you attempt to do or whether you exceed in your profession, I hope you all grow to be marvelous men and women. Lastly, to all my seniors, whether we were friends or not, other friends I made at this very school, teachers, staff, and people who have seen me grow, please don't become strangers. Thank you, Audrey. As we celebrate this incredible milestone for the class of 2026, we are honored to welcome
023a very special guest. He leads our district with vision, dedication, and a deep commitment to student success. Please join me in welcoming our superintendent, Dr. Romano Chris here. >> Smile, guys. Aren't they awesome? >> You know what? This is the best high school graduating class. Period. Period. the state of Arizona and this country. I don't know about you, but I'll take this seven days of the week and twice on a Sunday. Good evening students, staff, families, and our entire Aaho Unified School District community. I am Dr. STO, your proud superintendent of KUSD, the best district in the state. Thank you for being with us tonight for this incredibly special celebration of our high school seniors as they move on to college and career readiness opportunities. At this time, I want to ask all of our
024high school teachers to please come up to the stage right now when I call your name so you get the recognition that you so richly deserve because you provided the guidance and dedication every single day all year. Miss Fernandez, Miss Miss Lopez, Mr. Mr. Mr. Robo, come on up here. Miss Garola. Mr. Po, Mr. Poas, Dr. Dr. And our PE teacher, and I don't know about you, but if you saw her sing the national anthem at the last softball and baseball game, oh my goodness, Whitney Houston couldn't have done better. Miss Germaine Matista. We give it up for principal on the 85 from Buckeye to the Oregon pipe to Lukeville. Miss Mercy Adam. Please join me in recognizing the best high school staff anywhere in the state of Arizona. Great job. >> Families, your support
025and caring was critical. Leadership team, you set the tone and expectations. And most importantly, Red Raider students, you did the hard work and brought the energy and enthusiasm every single day. Our focus this year in AUSD was directed to the point. Families of improve yourself 1% every day by Steve Harvey and Today Matters by John C. Maxwell. And I challenge you Red Raiders now to have a new focus for next year as you will be alumni very soon. This will be the focus and will also drive us here to AUSD next year. Leaders eat mass by Simon Sette. This means that leadership is about responsibility and taking care of others and forming a great team. Form your great team when you go to college. Form your great team around you. I heard some people earlier
026say your great team is your family. Keep it up. Keep that in mind. Form your great team every single day. Class of 2026, you have demonstrated the quality already and have laid the foundation to help make AUSD the best district in Arizona. You will soon be Aaho High School alumni and will carry on the tradition of proud Red Raider alumni with the strong legacy that you have left for future senior classes. You are the main reason Aaho unified as a B-rated school district. the academic success in our programs. ELA, math, science, social studies classes, PE, architectural drafting, soon to be construction next year, culinary arts and theater. It was you, Aaho High School baseball and softball teams making it to the state semifinals this year and to the state championship game in softball in 2024.
027That was you. AO high school girls volleyball team making it to the state playoffs for the first time in over 10 years. That was you. All high school cheerleaders, state champion, state. I want to repeat that. A high school cheerleaders, state champions. That was huge. And another historic achievement for everyone here to know about the Yaho High School student council sending the most students of any high school in southern Arizona. More than Tucson Unified School District, more than Ogalas, more than South Point Catholic. We had 12 students attend the University of Arizona Eller College of Management High School Ethics Forum. 12 students, all girls. That was you. I started my first year as superintendent when you started high school and you are extraordinary students in 2022 to 2023. You are the best students in Arizona
028and I am so honored to serve as your superintendent. Our high school class of 2026, college graduation class of 2030, future college of law, future college of medicine, future college of nursing, future college of business, architecture, agriculture, construction project managers, architects, chefs, and future first responders. Congratulations. Bamos is bu I just have one thing left to say before I go back and sit down. One final thing left to say for our Aaho High School graduating class of 2026. How about them Red Raiders? How about >> Thank you, Dr. At this time, I am honored to officially present the graduating class of 2026. Members of the AW Unified School District governing board, Superintendent Dr. Roman Sautero, faculty and distinguished guests, each of the students seated before you has fulfilled the requirements set forth by the Aaho
029Unified School District and the state of Arizona. It is with immense pride that I present to you the class of 2026. >> Now I invite the governing board president, Mr. Rodney Hopkins, who will accept the class of 2026 on behalf of the district. Good evening everybody. Such a privilege to stand before you on this momentous occasion of years of dedication, perseverance, and growth. You overcome challenges, embrace opportunities to build memories that will last a lifetime. You lead Aaho High School not just with a diploma, but with the strength and spirit to shape your future. And now, by the authority vested in me by the Aaho Unified School District governing board, I proudly accept the class of 2026 as graduates of all high school. Congratulations. We can't wait to see the incredible thing. >> We will
030now begin the presentation of diplomas. Diplomas will be presented by Mr. Hopkins. And the names of our graduates will be read by Mr. Jose, senior class sponsor. is I join. Okay. Anna Joy class, Lucious John Luther King. Timber Nicole Bos. Oh yes. My name will last Sanchez. Raven Cloud Pawson Morgan. Malachi William Garcia. Nathan Hernandez. Briana Adel. Delanado below one. Maya Rihanna Lopez Marquez. Kelli Mendes Rodriguez. Princess Italy Moier. Morgan R. Ian Reneo >> Victoria Gloria Natani Gia Valentina. Francisco Olivera. Deline Green Prenia. I love you. >> Frankie, Sanchez, Failia Arm. India Noel. Olivia William Caroline and Wilson Alass Hey. Jonah. Congratulations graduates on receiving your diploma. And now to officially mark this moment of transition, I invite the senior class president Maren Campa to the podium. is going to lead the turning of the
031tassels. >> Good evening everyone. It's funny how something as small as a castle can mean so much. >> It holds all our late nights, laughs, stress, and memories in one tiny shirt. We love you, mama. >> Today, when we move it from right to left, we're not just graduating. We're growing up and moving forward together. We made it through everything and now it's our time to shine. Congratulations class of 20. We did >> graduates, please. On the count of three, you may turn your tassels. 1 2 3 Ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you our graduates, the class of 2026. This is now the beginning, the first chapter of the rest of your story. Congratulations once again and you have made us all proud. >> Thank you for joining us tonight. Please remain in
032your seats as the graduates exit the stage. Come on. Happy birthday. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Come on. Come on. This is Hallelujah. probably see my face. >> Do I look so cute? Wait, wait, wait. I can't find the computer anymore. Is that ready? Thursday.