001[Music] [Laughter] [Music] food [Music] so [Music] so [Music] uh [Music] so [Music] [Laughter] so woof [Music] so [Music] hmm [Music] [Applause] [Music] so [Music] oh [Music] me is [Music] you guys [Music] so [Music] so [Music] hey [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] so [Music] so [Music] [Applause] [Music] i [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] [Applause] [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] do [Music] [Applause] [Music] so foreign [Music] graduates you may be seated good afternoon dignitaries kennedy high school graduates family and friends i am dr adam hernandez the proud principal of john f kennedy high school i am honored to welcome you to the 2021 kennedy high school graduation ceremony this year has been a challenge to say the least however with the support of the fighting ira school community
002of teachers staff family and friends our students are here today ready to walk across the stage and become high school graduates students today is the day where all of your hard work pays off we're going to start things off i'm going to invite your master of ceremonies up to the stage at this time uh i'd like to introduce kalia trias kalia what has been a four-year member of kennedy's asb she's also been a president of the she's first club and a member of the national honor society for the past three years in addition kalia has played on the kennedy girls tennis team for four years serving as co-captain during her junior and senior years this fall she plans on attending cal state university long beach where she will be majoring in literature before i welcome
003much up to the stage you'll be recognizing some dignitaries this evening uh dr free couldn't be with us but our student rep for the board of trustees this year has been elizabeth o'jay and i'd like to give her a round of applause because she's sitting up here with us this evening without further ado please welcome [Applause] cauliatrias afternoon parents family members students and staff my name is collia trius and i have served this year as kennedy high school's asb president i would like to welcome you all to the class of 2021 kennedy high school commencement ceremony today is a special day and we are excited that you are here to celebrate this joyous occasion together please let us remember to be respectful and courteous of all graduates and guests so no air horns or noise
004makers are allowed face masks must be worn at all times and please maintain a social distance of six feet with those who are not of your same household or family please remain in your assigned seat while filming and taking pictures keep your recording device at chest level and do not impede the vision of others who are seated and please do not block the aisles at any time today's ceremony is being live streamed and will remain on the district's youtube channel to view at your convenience before we officially begin our ceremony we would like to take a moment to remember family and friends who have lost their lives this past year due to the pandemic let us share in a moment of silence together as we remember our loved ones [Music] thank you at this time
005would you please rise and join me in the pledge of allegiance place your right hand over your heart ready begin i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation under god indivisible with liberty and justice for all please remain standing while we honor america with the recording of the star-spangled banner performed by the 2021 anaheim union high school district high school honor band [Music] do [Music] uh [Music] so [Music] um [Music] so thank you you may be seated i would like to acknowledge our distinguished guests that serve in the anaheim union high school district that are on stage it is my pleasure to introduce the president of the board of trustees mrs anna piercy trustee miss anne-marie randall trejo [Applause] trustee mr
006brian o'neill our student ambassador and student representative of the board of trustees elizabeth ochae assistant superintendent of business services dr nancy neon chief academic officer mr manuel colon [Applause] the principal of john f kennedy high school dr adam hernandez [Applause] english and film teacher miss christy bettendorf and health and sports medicine teacher mr ian sabala thank you for your service to anaheim union high school district and kennedy high school students and families we also would like to recognize two retiring teachers for their service to kennedy high school we first recognize mr steve kelly mr kelly has taught for 31 years the last 24 here at kennedy as a resource teacher born and raised in madison wisconsin and loving the wisconsin badgers and green bay packers mr kelly worked at several wisconsin schools before moving to
007california one day while living in wisconsin mr kelly saw that the fontana school district was advertising teaching positions with pictures of palm trees and beautiful blue skies he took the job and taught at fontana high school for seven years before coming to kennedy in 1997. mr kelly has coached high school girls basketball for 19 years including lower level girls basketball at kennedy one of his biggest enjoyments in life was when he served as varsity girls basketball coach at el toro high school where he coached his daughter allison for four years mr kelly is looking forward to his retirement which will allow him to spend more time with his wife linda daughter alison and son brett walk along the beach with his dog cooper and travel congratulations and thank you mr kelly for your service to
008kennedy high school the second teacher we would like to thank and recognize is mr chris pascal mr pascal became a teacher in 1984 and has spent the last 36 years at kennedy mr pascal taught biology earth science and physical education he served as science department chair for 15 years mr pascal was honored by his colleagues as the teacher of the year in 2000 mr pascal was the kennedy varsity baseball coach for 22 years and led the team to kennedy's first cif baseball championship in 1989. he was named orange county baseball coach of the year twice and in 1989 he was honored as cif baseball coach of the year he also coached varsity jv and freshman football for 33 years and was the varsity golf coach for eight years congratulations mr pascal on your well-deserved retirement
009and thank you for your 36 years of serving kennedy students our first speaker today is joanna kim joanna has been an outstanding student at kennedy she is an international baccalaureate diploma candidate joanna was the founder and member of the medical club three-year member and officer of the national honor society red cross member and officer for two years and facilitator for raising student voices and participation joanna has served as a big sister for the big brothers big sisters of orange county finally joanna has volunteered over 300 hours assisting in a nursing home and helping the homeless in the fall joanna will be attending ucla as a neuroscience major on the pre-med tracks in hope of going to medical school and becoming a neurologist please welcome our first speaker joanna kim [Applause] i'm sorry if you hear
010clanking of my medals good afternoon everyone without the support that my teachers gave me i wouldn't be standing here today without my mom yelling at me to wake up when i snoozed all 12 of my alarms i'd have probably more than 50 tardies on my transcript without the help of the counseling department i'd be in debt over ap and ib testing fees so i'd like to thank all the teachers staff faculty parents and friends that got through these four years with us to my fellow graduates congratulations on being here today i hope that my speech can instill new heights of confidence and courage as we all embark on a new chapter in our lives we all have fears whether we want to admit to her or not you know like a fear of spiders for
011some a fear of cucumbers for one a fear of catching the coronavirus or the fear of tripping on the stage as you walk up to get your diploma if you didn't have that fear before i mentioned it i'm not sorry whatever fears you may have i implore you to let go of the fear for the future whether you're attending a four-year college a community college enlisting in the military or going straight into a job be fearless some of us may be uncertain about the future what we want to pursue and whether we'll be happy with our choices although many things are uncertain one thing will always mean remain clear the tenacity and grit of your own spirit foregoes any barrier to your confidence you are stronger than you think and you are the author of
012your own life no one else of course our futures await times of heartbreak loss and anxiety a lot of which we've already experienced especially in this past year but in the midst of those moments of hurt there were glimmers of hope that we often overlook like that moment of pure joy when us seniors heard that we'd have an actual in-person graduation to hear to see our friends and family for the friends and teachers for the last time that moment of childlike excitement when those who are in sports or choir got to perform and play again after a year and that moment of pure comfort when we got to embrace our best friends after quarantining for nearly a year these endless moments are safety nets when you fall you find a new perspective and maybe a
013few scars but who's to say that scars aren't cool in order to unearth the depth of who you are and capture the moments when you're the strongest you have to be fearless you have to be open to the idea of falling but ultimately choosing to get up again trials and hardships as we've seen can result in tears and pain but your heart and your mind can interpret that into resilience and hope for better days to come although we officially had no senior sunrise senior luau our senior prom we held on to each other to remind ourselves that within every cloud was a silver lining and look where you guys are all sitting today the safety net that we have is endless because we derive our strength from others so basically what i want to tell
014you guys is be open to challenges be confident in the face of uncertainty cry when you need to even the boys and pursue whatever it be that makes you happy but most of all do not be afraid of hardships with fearlessness comes the opportunity to create your name once you create your name find your voice and use it to educate engage and empower congratulations class of 2021 the world is your playground don't hesitate to explore all of it next i would like to introduce our second speaker josephine sulsona better known as josie she is a hard-working and determined individual she has been very involved here at kennedy as a member of the chess club environmental club and future business leaders of america josie also served as a facilitator for the raising student voices and participation
015in addition josie has been very involved in jrotc serving as the battalion commander josie is going to attend cal state fullerton this fall where she plans on majoring in business finance and minoring in military science after college she wishes to pursue a career in the military it's my pleasure to welcome josie sosona to the podium thank you family friends and faculty for not only being in today but for the support we received from all of you that has gone this the other day and congratulations graduates today is a great day today's a day we've been waiting for since we graduated since we entered kindergarten 13 years ago it's a major step in the journal of our lives one that should be recognized for its immense significance for some of you high school graduation is just
016to get out of school and get on with your life it's a time with awards finally it's over describes just how you feel for many others high school graduation is just the next step in our education we're headed to a community college a university a trade school an apprenticeship training you're headed to the next step of preparation for the career you wish to pursue but for all of us as we take off the caps and gowns and take home more tassels and diplomas remember this the diploma you receive today is your insurance policy with a premium one that's been paid in full by your hard work and dedication over this past 13 years however the value of that policy depends on how much effort you had put into your education and what you do with
017it as you go on use it take advantage of what it offers statistics show that your high school diploma is your passport to higher earnings in the greater world your diploma also represents a public education system one then shows all people here and across all nations have accessed the extreme experiences that shaped you and i a false rate education and exposure to diverse beliefs and traditions that that complete a complex world but it also ensures that young people have the chance to experience the joy of learning covet has an extreme effect on all of our lives one that has changed ourselves dramatically social distancing and safety measures have changed how we work and how we communicate for us high school seniors the sense of loss has been amplified oh my god the pandemic has robbed
018us of a defining commitment in our lives we have lost a ride the passage we've been looking forward to for years a senior sunrise a final sports season a prom just to name a few we've all had feelings of anxiety anxiety and sadness which have all been justified but being forced to forfeit our celebrations of our hard work and accomplishments is something we shouldn't have to do however we have stayed motivated and we have stayed strong enjoy the memories of all the high school sports games you want to clubs you join field trips you went on and the time you spent making friends and the memories you made with them keep those chairs events close to you keep close to the student and teacher friends you made here at kennedy and do well and wherever
019and in whatever you do i want to leave you guys with this changes the law of life and those who only look to the past or to the present are sun to miss the future john f kennedy you've all enjoyed passport use it well congratulations again to each and every one of us and may we succeed in the years ahead please welcome back our principal dr [Applause] hernandez it is my pleasure to recognize students who have earned one or more academic honors during their time at kennedy these scholars who are sitting in the first several rows this afternoon are adorned with stoles and cores students have earned one or more distinctions students please stand and remain standing as your group is recognized international baccalaureate diploma candidate students please rise academic academic honors court for students
020earning the 3.5 or higher in their 16 eighth g classes please rise a through g court for students who completed aug requirements by the first semester of their senior year with a minimum 2.0 gpa please rise career and technical education stole awarded to students who completed at least one cte pathway with the gpa of 2.0 or above please rise dual enrollment stalls our students who completed a minimum of a minimum of two dual enrollment cypress college classes and earned at least four college credits please rise [Applause] still by literacy recognition for students who completed four years of english with a 2.0 or higher gpa and are proficient in a second language please rise seal of tri-literacy are students completing four years of english with at least a 2.0 2.0 or higher and are proficient in
021two other languages please rise visual and performing arts court for vapa students who took three or more years in band choir or art with at least one advanced vapa course and a minimum gpa of 2.0 or higher please rise if you've earned the sale of civic engagement please rise and if you were a student of the month you were nominated by teachers and selected by a panel based on an essay and an application so if you were student of the month please rise if you can please give all these students a round of applause for their accomplishments scholars great job guys you may be seated [Music] so on march 13 2020 i had to get on the intercom and announced that kennedy high school was forced to close due to covet 19 pandemic we were
022optimistic that day that we would resume school shortly thereafter but today has been approximately 14 months since our students have been on kennedy's campus as one student body today looking out at our graduates brings all sorts of emotions i can't imagine what families are feeling in the stands a few words that come to mind when they look out here and think of the class of 2021 resilience perseverance strength and endurance and triumph but in order to recognize triumph i think it is appropriate for us to acknowledge some of the other words that may have described this past year for this group of graduates solitude sadness loss and possibly sorrow and defeat we are here this afternoon with many descriptors that somehow explain how we all got together here but make no mistake about it graduates
023class of 2021 you will walk across this stage with pride and purpose you see you represent all those who endured this year with you the highs the lows the laughs the cries and the celebrations today being one of them you carry your family and your friends across the stage with you today remember this the pandemic does not define you this is part of your legacy as a kennedy high school fighting irish student embrace it and find a way to tell your story you know last year i looked into the eyes of every graduate student in the parking lot i saw hurt i saw tears i saw nervous excitement i saw the exhale of is it really over i say to you as i said to them no your journey has just begun my hope is
024that you grow from the past live in the present and plan for the future ahead you have what it takes to make a difference so get get out there and find your voice and your purpose we are counting on you barack obama once said don't just get involved fight for a seat at the table better yet fight for a seat at the head of the table the future is yours class of 2021. go out and show us what you can do i am so proud of you it brings me great joy and humility that i stand up here as a principal of john f kennedy high school representing such an extraordinary group of students well done please give these graduates another round of applause i now ask the president of the board of trustees mrs
025annie piercy and board trustees miss anne-marie randall trejo mr brian o'neill to move to their positions for the presentation of the diplomas assisting in the presentation of reading the names uh english and film teacher christy bettendorf health and sports medicine teacher ian zavala lead counselor for shelly bennett and the rest of our counseling team veronica hernandez helen chan van parker and kendra johnson well the first front rows please stand once we start the first thing elizabeth ochei kalia trius joanna kim josephine sosana michael abraham nicole friday i just vincent hong gion carlo calisterio leona jankovic monica chicas eileen kim [Music] kayla jade clark [Music] thomas kim chelsea cooley [Music] amanda lee jazzel dimando [Applause] kang lu [Applause] shayla dumas [Applause] mejia annette molina dylan simm helen newen merrill francis sobra miss sauna [Music] stephanie newen
026joshua torres [Music] reina untiveros jocelyn torres barbosa yesenia ryan tran ashley perez jasmine eurebee [Music] dominique prado albert valencia [Applause] lorraine reyes christian walsh [Applause] rhema joanna walters [Applause] brianna rizzo cybele carell zozobrato [Applause] thomas salibah robert bong [Applause] camila acosta lawrence tyrone bonilla jasmine adair [Applause] megan brodawski [Applause] mirage are here connor bouchelle erica beatrice alunan mark justin antonio matthew alika kablinga canishiro luke arsabal sophia cabrejos jacob avena bernard quranto justine bautista [Applause] robert caronto ben isaiah baby alyssa carnes [Applause] cayenne bennett bianca castillo [Applause] isha bhakta dominic katu alyssa cervantes nicole del castillo [Music] jeffrey cha [Music] landon delaura mckenna chambers patrick john delgado anthony chang catherine zita desales hazel cho chow justin chung [Applause] jolene enriquez [Applause] tyler dao danelle dara espiritu kenneth de guzman ruben farog nicole fritch diami figueroa [Applause]
027adrian garcia brittany hamaguchi [Music] melvin get bamrongsen nakeeb hawk zoe gogui jacob how [Music] [Applause] rayleen gonzalez romero ryan who win [Applause] sebastian gonzalez juliana egama in goon paul david gin kendrick ha anthony johnson derek hillily alan jung cassidy hall andrea kang [Music] daniel kim harshawn cara esther kim caleb kim gwen kim daniel lee isaac kim brianna lopez [Music] lauren kim danielle lopez [Music] abigail kim ethan madison [Music] jason kwan jacob connor mongolis emily le pena aaron manuel [Applause] harrison lee [Music] mckenzie moray [Applause] ray haan lee jocelyn medina anthony lepage medina alvin moon denise eleanor mendoza nancy moreno [Music] laura mercado [Applause] nahabitian alyssa palmer gal christiane marshall [Applause] [Music] rog patel dan nguyen rainer paulino when when [Music] vincent pham vanna nguyen douglas fan victoria nguyen [Music] kapha polito [Applause] annika park mariah
028ramirez terence joseph reyes [Music] [Applause] adrian ramon [Music] charlotte riley campbell robbins [Music] oscar reyes elijah robles sullivan anthony rodriguez kylie sing bandits jacqueline romero [Music] kirsten jane suria that'd be great thank you nathan ruiz [Applause] sophia spradley thank you so much [Music] gabriel you [Applause] fatima tuffola madrigal [Music] sabrina sanchez john lloyd tamayo lauren segee jillian texon [Applause] vincent tran sydney tomoka [Music] emily tran jonathan tran alex trump caitlin tran [Applause] vincent trung [Music] johann aguilar elias valdez [Applause] nicholas tiara wii de gama [Applause] [Music] dj alcala aidan wong alejandro alfaro bryant wong [Applause] vanessa alvarado kyle wu [Applause] elijah alvarez [Music] sophia young isabel asmaskrita viviana arbiso lee jay akini nag [Music] amber arevalo nicole arbasto kalea arius [Music] julian ozzie anderson [Music] eric ariola franco barreto ariana bariantos nathan barry yusef bashay
029atiyah daniel attilano makai beatty alondra ayala janae bennett [Applause] kayla boyd dylan baker jacqueline bran flores sarah burke you're doing great matthew bowie shannon burke jordan burton jacqueline carter [Music] ariel caballero [Music] darlene castillo daniel caballero mark angelo castillo johnny cabral chantal castron [Music] chris michael kagiwa [Music] richard silas [Applause] fabian camacho [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] camacho matthew chang alexis canister claire cho kimberly christie shan cho oh there's gum colin brett clark destiny de leon ronald clark [Applause] devin deese renee conant tyler denise logan condie jennica de peralta [Music] joseph cordova chaos divinity [Applause] [Music] john corrales jacob docanto luce cortez emmanuel dominguez andra craig lauren dominguez gonzalez dennis easter the third chelsea epperson michael elizondo [Music] maya escalante ezekiel fernandez aiden escobar jude fernando [Music] marina espinosa matthew ferraro christian estrada shimaju figaro gian
030marco estrada [Music] tristan fleshman nathan feliciano adriana nicole flores dylan ferguson [Music] michael fontano [Music] nathan ferguson elijah fortea [Music] marcus fuentes [Music] jack frazier brianni falwalder [Music] josh fredzes priscilla gadsden jocelyn fresquez ariana garcia good job aiden frysen eileen garcia darren goldsmith [Music] corina garcia [Music] gustavo gomez brianne cayley gairan jenny rose gonzalez salvador gascon conrad gonzalez elijah gaiton rodrigo gonzalez alexander gasdak [Music] daniela gonzalez joseph gentry junior octavio granatus valdez [Applause] andrew guerrero [Music] caitlyn gray aria green [Music] anisa havilar [Applause] samuel guerrero rocco guerrera ryan gillen severe hair anthony gutierrez david hearn bianca gutierrez derek herring [Applause] taylor hess joshua hanko [Music] emma heguera brianne hart peyton hinojos [Music] [Applause] abigail guerrero [Music] annette valencia anaya isaac hall ryan jamir [Applause] mackenzie hunt [Music] samantha jimenez louis izadi [Applause] allison johnson [Applause]
031zaina khatib noah jones lathan king [Applause] sean alexander juicy [Applause] jenna coo [Applause] jc carr margarita kopelovic kornienko shaylyn keith ivy costco [Music] hannah kelly [Music] caleb kwan ryan kennedy anthony lara caitlyn lee [Music] natalie larson jordan james lee colin lewandowski chloe lee maya leyva alvaro macias [Music] isabella lee gore tehran madrid john lim lauren erica lopez jackson magyar [Music] kayla luna [Music] nathan moleta [Music] ariel lee zachary mancia francis marty mangasat [Music] mansuri savannah matthews jana manuel gracie maxwell faith martinez [Applause] jalen mcgee andrew martinez michaela mccoy jorge montoya benjamin melendez morales jesus mendes joey moreno [Music] alan mesa [Music] samuel morgenthaler savannah millet [Applause] star mormont akash mojaver joseph morrissey [Applause] andy nguyen kelsey momena hoochie dot nguyen jade munoz selena nguyen angel mario simon nguyen [Applause] isaiah olivas [Music] edgar noriega jacob
032or mondi angelina obrie [Music] [Applause] saray orapeza michael ollers adriana ortega cruz [Music] joseph oh elizabeth osuna timothy o'hannison selena owens bradley parker [Applause] mariah pacheco [Music] noah parker [Applause] jenna pagan jordan passing lucky palmer caiman patel joshua park [Applause] raj patel ryan patel [Music] leonardo ponts [Applause] tiana paul mario portillo [Music] christopher perez blake powers rebecca perez [Applause] aaron perez valenzuela matthew prieto [Music] jeremy ramirez [Applause] abraham rabahat [Music] elijah ramirez [Music] david roman crystal ramos carlo jacob rojas nabil rao raquel rudd [Music] santiago ruiz michelle reyes pablo ruiz sanchez [Music] aaliyah rivera robert celiba destiny rivera alexis sanchez okay adriana rodriguez [Music] christian sanchez [Music] tyler rodriguez leah sanchez [Music] christian rojas mallory sanchez alexa santa anna amber sanderson [Music] george santana christerna [Music] gavin smith [Applause] abraham satar taylor snowden [Music] [Applause]
033jacob stevenson nahin shake alan cyvoravong [Music] jessie may tabadero [Music] caitlyn toll christopher trujillo richard tran jayden tunstall alexander velasquez jocelyn victoriano [Music] isaiah ungos alexis viegas mohammed uzaire haley wagner [Music] alfredo valadez velazquez serena giselle waitman [Music] maya valencia travis wells [Music] evelyn valenzuela matthew wheeler [Applause] elon vargas caitlyn whistler carina vasquez savannah wiedner [Music] nadia wong jalen williams cassandra woodson sequoyah williams john worsham [Music] sadeno wyatt [Applause] andrew yang adrian zamudio jonathan zavala the following students were unable to be here abood stephanie ambrose ariana avendano crystal pereira [Applause] leo baron belinda callaway bethany callaway chris chung elena cisneros marcus enriquez george ferrari tobias gromit lauren jasso elise kim aaron kim [Laughter] joshua [Applause] ray park christopher patino william presswell [Applause] cecilia ramirez isaiah ramirez omar yamoon [Applause] it gives me great pleasure to
034introduce trustee mr brian o'neill who will certify the class of 2021. graduates please stand [Music] it gives me great pleasure and honor to present this class of 2021 to the board of trustees for certification [Applause] [Music] that the students present here today and also that you saw on the monitor from the class of 2021 have all duly met the requirements of the state of california and have completed the prescribed course of study prescribed by the anaheim high school district students you may now move your child from right to left congratulations [Applause] class of 2021 congratulations on your achievement you are now alumni of john f kennedy high school k high for life graduates would you please remain standing for the plane of the alma mater recorded by our very own shamrock regiment band the lyrics
035for the alma mater on the back of the graduation program if you want to join us [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] you [Music] [Applause] [Music] graduates please be seated when prompted by staff you will be exiting to your left with the first row to the audience and parents and friends and thank you for attending the 2021 commencement for john f kennedy high school family friends please remain seated until dismissed by security for your seating section please note that current health guidelines restrict us from gathering in the large group so remember to take all items with you when you exit the stadium and please meet your graduates at your vehicle so congratulations once again one more round of applause thank you [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] so [Music] oh [Music] so [Music] foreign [Music] so [Music] [Applause] i
036[Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] [Applause] [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] [Applause] [Music] so [Music] my so [Music] [Applause] you