001Everyone's It's channel two. Good evening, family members, and guests. My name is Dr. Jamie Jal and I'm the proud principal of Somerset High School ceremony for the graduating class of 2026. Graduating from high school is an exciting time for our students. It signifies the beginning of a new chapter of life after years of acquiring knowledge and obtaining the skills necessary to become productive and informed citizens. Graduates, I want to commend you for embracing the challenges you have faced and staying the course in your journey to earn a high school diploma. Tonight, we are here to celebrate this accomplishment. We would like to start this evening ceremony by honoring Clinton and National stand and place your hand over your heart. You defeated >> Board of Education and research. >> The entire community wishes to express our
002appreciation for their vision to meet the educational needs of all board. Please knowledge Miss Brenita Armstrong and Miss Mrs. Bonnie Carter, our assistant superintendent of educational services, Dr. Amma Ayola, who is our assistant superintendent supporting Mrs. Renee Ar who's our chief business officer. Mrs. Arley who is the CEO of California advancing student who is our director secretary and who honor student academic progress towards graduation and who support students with various school and social needs uh with patience and care. Our guidance counselor, Mrs. Miss Belinda Dula, Miss Davula I have this at like 16 point con. I still have to wear my glasses. Somerset High School employs a team of experienced teachers who engage students daily utilizing our schoolwide learner outcomes of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity in classroom environments that are supportive, interactive, and
003conducive to learning. Teachers, please stand to be recognized. And we cannot forget our wonderful and hardworking classified staff for providing unwavering support for our teachers, school administration, students, and parents. Their work is extremely essential for Somerset to function efficiently so students can have a positive school experience. Thank you for your help tonight and every day. Some are over here. Some over here. Please rec. We saw some outside. Mr. Grayson and Mr. Johnson are in the back. I know I'm going to forget somebody, but thank you all. I'd also like to thank everyone here this evening for supporting Somerset High School's class of 2026. On behalf of the teachers and staff, we are honored that you trusted Somerset High School to educate your student, and we value the partnership that we have shared with you to
004help them achieve this huge milestone in life. It's my pleasure to speak with you about the graduates sitting in front of us tonight. These are remarkable students. All of these students have overcome adversity and achieved their goal of completing their high school graduation requirements. You've all had different paths, but here you are all together. Everyone here should feel very proud of themselves because they accomplished what once felt impossible. As I was reminiscing about the class of 2026, I thought about how many of the students sitting here tonight have truly enjoyed their time at Somerset. This class definitely puts play above work, but when it came to getting things done, they followed through and know and knowing how much they enjoyed the campus experience, it's kind of surprising that they didn't always find school enjoyable. I'm
005so glad they found a place to grow and expand their sense of self at Somerset, whether on campus or in the independent study pathway or adult re-entry program. And now it's time to take what you have learned and enter the next stage of your lives. Today we celebrate the significant day in your educational journey. Today marks the end of one journey and the beginning of the next. TS Elliott reminds up reminds us that what we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from. Graduates, take a moment to reflect on who you were before coming to Somerset. And now, think about the person you are today. Parents, friends, family members, you've seen the change, too. I know it. You didn't
006always see that you could be academically successful or be a leader on campus or someone who chooses peace over conflict. But look at you who you are now. You chose to persevere when things got difficult. You discovered new interests and new abilities. You chose to stay strong when life felt overwhelming. Now think about the person you really want to be in this lifetime. You're already becoming that version of yourself. It is simply up to you to keep focused on your dreams and aspirations. Keep persevering when life throws obstacles in your path. Keep having fun, but remember that balance of work and play that will get you to the goals you've set for yourself. You came to Somerset or independent study not knowing what this change would mean in your lives. You met teachers and staff
007who appreciated you and love learning about you as people. All change really is is the end of something and the start of something new. And I hope you discovered that change can be an amazing vehicle to propel your life forward in a positive direction. As we celebrate the end of your high school life, my sincerest wish for each one of you is that this end marks the beginning of a wonderful journey. While life is always filled with ups and downs, I hope you learn a lot and grow from both. I wish you more good days than bad and more joy than sorrow. Always remember when things feel overwhelmingly challenging that it has to get better. Always remember that you are strong and you are capable. Remember that you have a room full of people here
008today on your side wanting the best for you. Remember your worth and never be afraid to start over when you need a new beginning. I speak for all the teachers, staff, friends, and family here tonight to say that we could not be more proud of you. Tonight is a celebration of the end of your high school years and the start of an amazing future for you. Sitting on the stage here tonight is proof or sitting out here today is proof that you have already have you already have what it takes to embrace change and flourish. I hope it feels really good to see yourself on the other side of the adversity that you faced. Congratulations on achieving this milestone in your lives. May it be a reminder that you are capable and worthwhile. You can
009do hard things and you can overcome challenges. You can do anything that you set your mind to because your life is a success story. Look at all you've become and all you are becoming. This end is just the start of even better. And all of us here tonight can't wait to hear about how great your life is going to get. family and friends here tonight. Thank you for taking a moment to join me in celebrating and appreciating these resilient and successful young adults who are the Somerset class of 2026. We have four graduates who will be sharing their journeys and achievements with you tonight. Um I'm cert you'll common themes that are similar to those of many of our graduates here tonight. Our first speaker to come up is Edward Martin. Edward, please join me
010on the stage. >> Thank you, Dr. J. Hello, student, staff, parents. Uh, my name is Eder Martin and today we are here to celebrate the day where students have worked hard to get where they are. I would love to thank all the teachers and staff at Somerset High School for getting me where I'm at this moment. Thank you guys for teaching me. I had always thought Somerset wasn't a good school until I realized until I realized how much the teachers pushed me towards success. I would love to thank Maria Vatitali, Elizabeth Egan, and Belinda Davila. And someone who I appreciate the most in the school is Ray Pontino for keeping my school clean. A wise man once said, "Get it done." And that wise man's name is Ray Pantino. To my fellow graduates, we've been
011through so much together. We faced challenges, learned important lessons, and created memories that will stay with us forever. There were moments when things felt difficult. When we doubted ourselves, and when giving up seemed easier. But when but when we kept going that is something we should all be a proud of. As we move for as we move forward let's remember that success is not measured only by achievements but by resilience kindness and the courage to keep trying even when things are hard. Class of 2026 this is our moment. Let's be proud of how far we've come. Confident in where we're going and excited for all the lies ahead. I want to take a moment to thank one person who has been my biggest supporter and my strongest inspiration. My mom, words can never fully express
012how grateful I am for everything you've done for me. Thank you for all the sacrifices you made, the long days and sleepless nights, and for always putting my knees before your own. Your love, patience, and strength have carried me through so many challenges. There were times when I doubted myself, but you never doubted me. You believed in me even when I struggled to believe in myself. Your encouragement pushes pushed me to keep going. And your advice helped me guide me in the right direction. Everything I've accomplished today is because of the love, support, and value you've given me. You taught me the importance of hard work, resilience, and never giving up. Thank you for being my role model, my comfort, and my biggest cheerleader. I'm so proud to be your child, and I hope to
013make you as proud of me as I am of you. I love you, and thank you for everything. And again, I would love to thank every staff and teacher at Somerset High School for leading all these graduates toward success of a good life. Congratulations to all of us 2026. Awesome, Edward. Thank you so much. Our next speaker is Arelli Cervantes. Arelli, please join me on the stage. Good evening, class of 2026 and everyone present here tonight. I am Aeli Cervantes and it is my pleasure to speak with you tonight. Class of 2026, we finally made it. There were days when graduation felt too far away. We went through stressful assignments, long nights, and hard lessons, and moments where some of us doubted ourselves or wouldn't have even thought we would have been here graduating. But
014today proves that every struggle, every sacrifice, and every late night working on assignments was worth it. We stand here stronger, wiser, and ready for the next chapter of our lives. Today is not just about receiving a diploma. It's about celebrating our journey and that brought us here and the people who helped us along the way. To our parents and families, thank you. Thank you for always believing in us when we didn't believe in ourselves. Thank you for always Thank you for the rights to school, the encouragement, the sacrifices, the advice, and the unconditional love. You stood beside us through every success and every failure. None of us would be here today without the support and love you guys gave us. I'm Miss Padres. Papa puppy. Fore and speech. Momento. much. Mama, mommy. To my fellow
015seniors, we should all be proud of ourselves. We learned together and we grew together and made memories we will never forget. Some of us are going to college and some of us are starting careers and others will be discovering their paths. But no matter how hard life gets, keep on pushing. Like Junior H once said, which means you decide and where you go and where you're going. Don't let go of the wheel and don't look back. The future may feel uncertain, but one thing is certain. We made it through every challenge that tried to stop us, and we can overcome whatever comes next. Class of 2026, this is only the beginning. Let's continue chasing our dreams, making our families proud, and becoming the best versions of our ourselves. May God bless us all and through
016our journey. Congratulations, class of 2026. We finally made it. Awesome. Thank you so much, Aureli. And um our next speaker here tonight is um going to be Ammani Cobb. Don't forget your cards. For everyone who doesn't know my name, my name is Zmani. I would be saying good morning everyone, but it's currently night time right now. I would like to leave a special message with one of my favorite artists who once said, "Go to school, graduate, get your own." Because once it's all said and done, people can't can say what they want to say about you, but they can't take it from you. Now, I don't want to make this too long. However, I would like to say throughout the rough times, sleep, sleepless nights, emotional times, tired days, and hard hard times, not knowing
017that I will be a future student at Somerset High School. I would like to thank everyone that welcomed me in to the school with open arms, but I would also like to give a special thanks to Dr. J, Miss Davala, Woody, and Mr. Johnson. Those staff members have been on my side since day one. Dr. J and Miss Dav will always be my friend and I would like to give my thanks for understanding me throughout the two years at Somerset. They held my secrets, shared their snacks, and words can't describe how much I appreciate them. Woody, who also became a friend, taught me right from wrong, but still laugh with me along the way. Mr. Johnson, thank you for allowing me to come into your classroom when I wasn't feeling okay or even understood. The
018times we talked and shared our snacks when you didn't have to. I just want to give a thanks to all the staff for being there for me every day. Well, I wouldn't say every day because there will be text messages, emails, calls notifying my mom about my abs absence and ties. Furthermore, I would want to give a huge shout out to my mom, dad, aunties, brother, sisters, my grandpa, and lastly, my granny who was in the spirit with us. Without you all, there wouldn't be no us. And as it was hard for me to find a ride every day, they made sure I did. I want to give a large appreciations for to my mom for being on my side throughout this journey. My mom didn't have to call the Ubers to take me to
019school. But she did. She didn't have to buy the clothes on my back, but she did. She didn't have to have make sure I had my work completed, but she did. She didn't have to enroll me into college, but she did. So, everyone out there that still has a mom and is doing her best to give her grace, love, and be thankful for her. Lastly, lastly, I want to give a big thank you to my dad for believing in me. turn the phone when I needed him. Just always there trying his hardest in the best way possible as being a first time dad. So, everyone look to the side and give your dad a thanks. Your mom or whoever else that helped you support or get you here today. Class of 2026, as we are
020checking out forever saint, stay a saint. Okay, I I first of all want to say awesome job and also I have to I'm the one that started with the tears up here, but it's just because we all love each other so much. So, um, our next speaker I'm excited to announce is Island Roy. the graduation. This is proof how life how hard life got. We kept going. We came out stronger. Our stories are just now getting started. We did it a whole 12 years. And we never gave up. Maybe like once, but for the most part, we kept pushing all the way to the finish line. I know it was moments when we wanted to quit, moments where the pressure was too heavy, but we kept going. We proved to the ones who said we
021couldn't that we were stronger than the doubt, stronger than the fear, and stronger than every obstacle that tried to stop us. Now look at us about to walk across the stage making our families and younger selves proud and everyone who believed in us proud. The late nights, the hard lessons, the setbacks, the sacrifice were all worth it. One last thing, I want to give a special shout out and a special thank you to my mom always being in my corner and being my biggest cheerleader. And on behalf of class of 2026, congratulations guys. We did it. You did it. I love that. All right, now it's getting exciting. Y'all ready? Okay. So, the next few minutes I'm going to point out some really amazing standout students. And again, thank you to the the four of
022you for coming up here and sharing your experiences, your expressions of gratitude, and your words of encouragement with us. I know that took a lot of courage and I'm really proud of you. So, if your name is called during this next part where I'm going to recognize some of our outstanding students, please stand to be recognized. First, I'd like to acknowledge students who received special designations for graduation. I'd like to recognize the following students for being career technical education pathway completers in the area of engineering design. These students completed both computer AED design and advanced CAD classes to earn medallions that they are wearing this evening. Will the following students please stand to be recognized? Tristan Bajjorn, Aureli Cervantes, Chambers, Jason Damian, Benito Deatori, Chris Ranguel, Anthony Santos, Jordan Smith, and Mai Williams. Thank you.
023You may be seated. Except for one student, Tristan. Stand back up. Uh he also earned a medallion in by completing the woodworking pathway at our school. So, we're really impressed by his commitment to Career Tech Ed and we know he's going to be a great success using his hands in the future because he's really good at building things. All right. Thank you, sir. And lastly in this portion, can Delila will Delila Gonzalez please stand? Delilah is a CTE pathway completer in the area of graphic production technology. Good job. And congratulations to all of our CTE pathway completers. Next, I would like to recognize students who worked hard to earn college credits this year, either through our dual enrollment program, our partnership with Cerritos College, or at Long Beach City College. These students passed a college
024class while in high school, so they're well on their way to earning their next degree. Please stand to be recognized. Micaia Barry, Delila Gonzalez, Blanca Lopez Gonzalez, Edward Martin, Christian Mima, Aiden Weedman, Jayla Williams, and Mai Williams. And if by chance I missed you and you took a class that I don't know about, go ahead and stand up. All right. Awesome. Be seated. Congratulations. CTE and dual enrollment course completers have set themselves up for a positive future and we're really proud of their achievement. At the recent awards ceremony, we um Somerset students earned $5,850 collectively in scholarship money. So, if you receive a scholarship this year, will you please stand to be recognized? These funds. >> Thank you. You may be seated. These funds are going to help support your college and career goals, and
025we're really excited for what you do. We also had a student receive a really special recognition and a scholarship from the city of Belfflower for writing an essay about safety in our city. And so, Andre Pena, will you please stand to be recognized? >> Of our scholarship winners and all of you. Lastly, we want to recognize some students who received staff awards this year. So, each of these students received a medal to commemorate their achievement and they're wearing them here tonight. So, when I when I'm talking about you, when I call your name, go ahead and stand up so we can recognize you. First is a Bernard Raven Spirit of Somerset Award. Mr. Raven was the first principal of Somerset and this award is named after him and it is given to the student that
026embodies best embodies the spirit and philosophy of the school and that student is Nathan Palasio. Congratulations Nathan. And then Judy Reyes is another uh Somerset principal and the Judy C. Reyes award is given to a student who is a positive role model for others on campus. And this award uh this year goes to Shawn Collins. Thank you Sean for having such great character. And uh we also have the Patrick Dixon Award. Also another principal at Somerset. You might may some of you might remember him. This award recognizes the student who has been the most involved in school activities. And this year's most involved student is Micaia Barry. Thank you, Micaia. We appreciate what you did for the school. And last but not least, we have the Joseph Stitz Award. Joseph Stitz was a counselor and
027a principal at Somerset. And this award is given to a student who's considered the most well-rounded in all aspects of being a student at Somerset High School. And the Joseph Oitz award goes to Christian Mima. Yeah, he's wearing it. I like it. Thank you, Christian. Are you ready? It is now time for me to call up Dr. Aaron Simon, who is our superintendent for Belfflower Unified School District, and she is going to present the Somerset High School graduating class of 2026. Good evening everyone. As superintendent for the Bellflower Unified School District, it's an honor to stand before the graduating class of 2026. Seniors, your dedication and determination have brought you to this milestone, and I couldn't be more prouder of you. You face challenges with courage and perseverance, and now you're prepared to begin the
028next chapter of your lives. As you step off this gymnasium tonight, know that your journey is just beginning. Pursue your passions, embrace new opportunities, and always believe in yourself. Mrs. Myra Garza, president of the board of education, will you join me? By the authority vested in me by the state of California and the board of education, I do hereby certify that the students of this class have completed the requirements for graduation as prescribed by the California Education Code and the policies of the Bellflower Unified school district. Mrs. Garza, it is with tremendous pride that I present to you the Somerset High School class of 2026. Brooklyn Cobb Island. Victoria Roy Ellie Era Cervantes. >> Hi. >> Sean Michael Collins. >> Yes. >> Giovani Martin Ortega. Adrien Bernal, Micaia Barry, Michael Isaac, Blanco, Orona, Tristan Bailey
029Bjon. >> Yeah. Cabrera, Arlene, Eliza Cavaras, Devon Douglas Chambers, Jason Jesus, Damian, Benito, Joseph, Deator, Noah Dip, Raymond, Alexander, Garcia, Chavez. Jeffrey Gibson, Delilah Gonzalez, Anthony Estavan Gonzalez, Canada Ela Gutierz, Jessen Rashid Hall, Lz Murray Hernandez, Cena, Graceland, Michelle F, Paul Lawrence Jackson, Jolene Marie Leera, Isabelle Gonzalez, Angel Damian Lopez Suarez, Mia Lyanna Monado, Christian Ola Andre Ba, Christie Miller, Montiel the third, Samuel Nearez, son of Nathan Matthew Palasio, Michael Rinkon, Rubio, >> Jordan Cord Smith. Anthony Joshua Santos, Joseph Seora, James Shaw, Alejandro Salas, Luis Daniel Suarez stoen Weedman, Jayla Leticia Williams, Mai Williams, Matthew Damian Sbrano. Oh, going. >> Oh yeah, go for it. >> Sorry everyone. I just realized I did not accept the class of 2026. So on the behalf of the board of education for Bafflower Unified, we accept this class.
030Thank you so much. Congratulations. superintendent for their direction, guidance, and support that they provide all year long to the students at Somerset High School and the whole community of Somerset. At this time, I would like to invite ASV Vice President Sha Collins to the podium for the final presentation of our graduates. >> Sweet. Congratulations, class of 2026. We finally made it. It is now time to move our tassels from the right side of our caps to the left side, signifying that we are graduates. Please do it now. >> Congratulations. Now, let's party. Congratulations. Now, let's party. about things always be the same to You better say right without thinking you I didn't know much love but can't feel the telephone get so excited and get so scared they get lost. This is all the time
031we together forever. So if we get the big money back now still be trying to break every single public feeling fly. And this is how it feels. together as change. We will still be friends forever. There we go. Think about tomorrow like we think about now. Can we survive it out there? Can we make it somehow? I guess I thought this would never end. And suddenly it's like a follow that we keep on It's time to fl