001[Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Grace. You may see it. [Applause] Good evening, parents, family members, and guests. My name is Dr. Jamie Jal, and I'm proud to be the principal of Somerset High School. I'd like to welcome you to Somerset's commencement cere ceremony for the graduating class of 2025. This is a unique graduation for many reasons. One of them being in the gym here tonight, the other being my very first graduating class at Somerset. And I'm very excited about that. Um, thank you for being so flexible with us tonight. We really appreciate that. Graduation from high school is an exciting time for our students. It signifies the beginning of a new chapter in life. After years of acquiring knowledge and obtaining the skills necessary to become productive and informed citizens, graduates, I want
002to commend you for embracing all 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's ceremony by honoring our country with the singing of the national anthem. Nariah, please come to the stage. The national anthem will be performed by graduate Nariah Sheerburn. Will everyone please rise? [Music] No. Oh, say can you see by the [Music] dawn what proudly we held at the [Music] twilight stars through the peril. Flight or [Music] the words [Music] together proof. through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, does that star [Music] spangle yet or the land of the free? [Music] [Applause] That was beautiful. Thank you so much. It gives me great pleasure at this
003time to introduce the uh Bellflower Unified School District Board of Education and District Administration to you tonight. The entire Somerset community wishes to express our appreciation for their vision, collaborative mindset, and hard work in meeting the educational needs of all students. from the Belflower Unified School District Board of Education. Our president, Miss Amy Stewart, Vice President, Miss Myra Garza, our board clerk, Miss Mr. Brad Critchfield, board member Reita [Applause] Armstrong, and board member Miss Marina Cintron. And from the Bellflower Unified School District Min Administration, our interim superintendent of schools, Mrs. Lisa Acavdo. [Applause] I'd also like to acknowledge our deputy superintendent of schools, Mr. uh Dr. Ryan Smith in the back there. Um our uh assistant superintendent of instruction and student support services, Miss Bonnie Carter. our assistant superintendent of special education and student services,
004Miss Alma Uloa, our chief business officer, Mrs. Renee Arcus, and the CEO of our Calabs program, which stands for California Advancing Pathways for Students, Miss Arlene Whitney. I'd also like to give a special thanks to our director of secondary education tonight for helping us out so much, Mr. Gil [Applause] Castanada. And I want to recognize the dedicated and hardworking staff at Somerset High School. First, the person who works diligently to monitor and track student academic progress towards graduation and who supports students in various school and social needs is our guidance counselor, Miss Belinda Davila. And as you know, 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 and conducive to learning. Teachers, please
005stand to be recognized. [Applause] And we cannot forget our wonderful and hardworking classified staff uh many who are working around the room for providing unwavering support for our teachers, our school administration, students and parents. Uh their work is extremely essential for Somerset to function efficiently and so students can have a positive school experience. So thank you so much to all of them. And I'd like to thank all of you, everyone here this evening, for supporting Somerset High School's class of 2025. And on behalf of the teachers and staff and obviously the students here before you, uh we're honored that you trusted Somerset High School to educate your student. and we value the partnership that we have shared with you to help them achieve achieve this huge milestone in life. It is my pleasure to speak
006to you about the graduates sitting in front of you tonight. These are remarkable students. All of these students have overcome adversity and achieve their goal of completing a high school graduation diploma. When I think of the graduating class of 2025, the word that comes to mind is tenacious. I won't go into any personal stories here, but I know many of you could not envisioned yourself here tonight, even just a short year ago. You were ready to give up. Life was getting in the way of you focusing on school. You were overwhelmed by the weight of the expectations. But regardless of your story or pathway, you all made it here tonight. Yeah, you can give yourselves a round of applause for that. Yeah. You are here because you put your future ahead of your past. You
007prioritized your stuff yourself above the stuff swirling around in your life. You found your grit and your resiliency and you overcame the obstacles that were in your way. You made mistakes, but you overcame them. You learned from them. You became a better version of yourself because of them. Oprah tells us that we should learn from every mistake because every experience encounter and particularly your mistakes are there to teach you and force you into becoming more of who you are and then you figure out what's the next right move. The key to life is to develop an internal moral emotional GPS that can tell you which way to go. The brain is a muscle that can be developed. Intelligence is malleable. It's not fixed. Our lives are malleable. They're not fixed. You are better off in
008life once you learn how to treat mistakes, disappointments, and failures as opportunities to learn about yourself and what you really want and need. Drawbacks are all opportunities to grow and change and improve. to find out what you're capable of doing and who you want to be. Sitting here tonight is proof that you already have experience with this concept. And I hope it feels really good to see yourself on the other side of the adversity that you have faced in high school. Chances are you've experienced other you will experience other uh challenges at some point in life that will cause you to pause and reflect. In those moments, remember your ability and your grit. Use this knowledge to successfully guide you to become uh through better outcomes through each of the obstacles that you face in
009life. I speak for all of the teachers, staff, friends, and family here tonight to say that we could not be more proud of you. This is a celebration of the end of your high school years and the start of an amazing future for each one of you. Congratulations on achieving this milestone in your life. May it be a reminder that you are capable. You are a capable and worthwhile person. You can do hard things and you can overcome challenges. You are a success story. [Applause] Now it's your time to go and do what author Neil Gaiman advises. Make interesting mistakes. Make amazing mistakes. Make glorious and fantastic mistakes and be better off for having made them. All of our graduates should be commended for their hard work and perseverance. Thank you for joining me and
010taking a moment, as you already have, to celebrate and appreciate these tenacious and successful young adults. So, now we have three graduates who are going to come up and speak with you to share their journey um and their achievements which led them here tonight. I'm certain that you will find common or themes that are common to many of you here tonight. Um, and so I'm excited to have them come up. Our first speaker is Joseph Kiwis. [Applause] Help me. Lord, help me. Lord, help me. Oh my god. Before we begin, I would just like to say good evening everyone. Teachers, faculty members, honored guests, family, friends, and most importantly, the graduating class of 2025. I'll keep it real short. Today isn't just about a piece of paper. It's about the path we took to get
011here. And for many of us, that path wasn't straight or easy. We've had to overcome obstacles, doubts, setbacks that made us question if we'd ever make it. See, I lost where I was at. We may not have taken the ideal route as everyone has expected, but just like Vince Lombardi said, it's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up. Each and every one of us learned how to stand up after falling down and how to keep moving forward when life tried to hold us back. To our teachers and staff, thank you for not giving up on us, even if we did turned in our assignments late or didn't bother to show up to class. The patience you offer, the guidance you give truly shows that a teacher's greatest lesson to their student
012isn't found in the curriculum or in the four walls that they teach. It's found in the way they made us believe that we matter. The influence you had on us has no boundaries. The lessons that our teachers have taught us, not just our curriculum, but in our lives as well. Your work is truly important and it shapes the future in ways that you may never fully witness. To our families, you have been our foundation from the start. Our motivators, our biggest fans, your unwavering support and love truly shows. Whether it was waking us up to get to class on time or driving us to school before you work or after a late night shift. This day wouldn't be possible without your sacrifices. Even though today is our day, just remember that is also yours. for
013without you we would not be here. To my fellow classmates, whatever lessons, whatever lessons we have learned throughout these four years, we will take with us to the future. We are not just a class of 2025, we are the class of resilience and determination. And most importantly, the four C's, communicators, collaborators, critical thinkers, and creative minds. Although today will mark the end of a chapter, it is also the beginning of a new story that each and every one of us can write. So whatever life takes us, whether that be college, the military, or a gap year, go in confidence and resilience each and every one of you has, chase your own purpose and not just a paycheck. Be creative, be determined, be kind. Just like Booker T. Washington has said, success is to be measured
014not so much by the position that one has reached in life and by the obstacles which he has overcome. Congratulations, class of 2025. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you so much, Joseph. That was awesome. And next, I would like to invite Miss Elizabeth Nunees to the stage to share her experiences with you. Good evening faculty, staff, students, and family members. Welcome to the graduating class of Somerset 2025. Today is a day that we leave our mark not as an end but as an opening to a door with a potential for never ending opportunities. While in school this door felt like trials. It always felt like no matter what I did, the system would fail me. But then I realized that I was failing myself. I didn't want to admit that I could not carry a burden
015alone. I needed other people. It wasn't the direction I was taking. It was direction. It was the way I was walking in that direction. I wasn't just walking. I was sinking. And then I was drowning like most of us. But this worked in me a vulnerability and humility I didn't know I needed. I could now admit it takes more than one person to move forward. It takes a core group of mentors, teachers, family, and good friends. While I was struggling through school during the summer of my junior year, I quite literally felt a shift in my life. All the things that I was pacifying my problems with started to disappear. This is not something that just happened. I felt it was God. The same God that gave his one and only begotten son to the
016world. And even my stubbornness couldn't stop that. I'm vulnerable and soft. Not because my mom was tough and I was being rebellious, but because my mom gave me life, which gave me an ability to feel a different kind of strength. She sacrificed a lot to get me where I am today, graduation day. And I want to express my gratitude to my classmates for stepping in and out of my life in the seasons that you were there as lessons or pure experience. Without all of you, I wouldn't have gained the knowledge that leads to wisdom and accept and learn about who I am. You have opened my eyes to a whole new world. I started writing my graduation speech on January 17th, 2023. I decided I wasn't going to graduate without without leaving my mark. As
017a junior who was severely struggling with credits and depression since my freshman year, I did doubt myself. My English teacher, Miss Egan, talks about her subject with such passion. She's the flint that helped spark that fire in me at the end of junior year. No matter the topic she spoke on, she spoke on this strongly. That's something I'll carry in my heart forever. Throughout high school, I always felt silly, even stupid for putting my voice out there, especially if it meant speaking up for myself. My mind thought differently. I spoke too figuratively, and my jokes were never understood. But that did not define my capacity to go beyond absolutely any obstacle or challenging goal. God put it in my heart to accomplish anything and everything that seems impossible because with him all things are possible.
018[Applause] Thank you. No matter what you do in life, people will point fingers, be quick to judge, and bring you down. Whether it's through jealousy and envy or low self-esteem, it's important to remember not to judge because most people are struggling just as much as you are. There are a handful of people who doubted me, put me down, and lost faith in me. And I let them because I knew I'd be here today in this very moment receiving the opportunity to speak on my accomplishments. I learned that doubt from others and their resistance to [Applause] me. I learned that doubt from others and the resistance to me worked in me strength and determination. I learned at Somerset that it is the private victories that build your foundation and become what the rest of the world
019sees. I couldn't have asked for more. Thank [Applause] you. Thank you so much, Liz. I appreciate your heartfelt message. And our last speaker tonight is Miss Sha Drian Driana [Applause] Williams. Good evening everyone, family, friends, teachers, and most most importantly the class of 2025. Take a breath. Seriously, just stop and take a moment to look around. This is real. This is ours. We made it. You didn't take the easy road to get here. And that's what makes this moment even more powerful. You pushed through the challenges, setbacks, doubts, and everything in between. And you still kept showing up. That takes strength, heart, and that takes you. So today, I don't want to just say congratulations. I want to say something more personal, something I hope stays with you as you move forward. I hope you
020learn how to let go. I hope you learn how to let go of everyone else's opinion of your life. I hope you start to see that deep down there's no right way to live, no single path to follow, no perfect plan that fits us all. We all have different goals and different ideas of happiness, different dreams of what it means to live a life that feels full. And because of that, yes, people will judge. The world will try to tell you what's right, but you have to keep leading your path. You have to trust your own direction. The second you let someone else tell you what to do with your life, you start losing what makes it yours. So, I hope you go into a life that feels like you, someone you're proud of, no
021matter how different it looks from someone else's perspective. I hope you learn to let go of comparison. It's easy to get stuck in it, especially when everything's on display, filtered, polished, and perfected. But that's not real. What's real is what you live through. What you live for is how far you have come. You're a human being who has felt deeply, learned slowly, going steadily, and your life won't be perfect, but at least it'll be honest. It'll be yours. And please, I hope you let go of the need to protect your heart. I hope you stop keeping distance just to feel safe. Because yeah, being vulnerable can be scary, but it's also where the best parts of life come from. Connection, growth, love. Show up fully. Be the person who's not afraid to say, "This matters
022to me." And before I close, I want to say something important to the teachers. You have truly inspired every one of us and helped us get here. Your patience and belief in us when we didn't believe in ourselves mattered more than you probably know. But if I'm being completely honest, there's one teacher I need to thank a little louder. Miss Egan. You made an impact that not only affected our academics, but as well as our perspective of life. You didn't just teach us literature or grammar or how to write an essay. Don't worry parents, she taught us that though. You taught us how to find our voices through writing, how to believe that what we think and feel is worth expressing. And for that, your words of encouragement and your realness. Thank you. Thank you
023for making a difference that will last far beyond graduation day. With that being said, class of 2025, today is our day, but it's just the beginning. So, let go of what holds you back. Create your title that makes you whole and step into your new chapter with pride. Congratulations, graduates. The world has no idea what's coming, but I hope it's ready for us. This isn't in the script, but when I looked out at all your faces, I was like, "Oh, yeah. The world has no idea what's coming." And that's a good thing because you guys are awesome. So, thank you so much, Shay. I appreciate that. Thank you so much for our speakers here tonight for sharing their stories, experiences, and expressions of expressions of gratitude and words of encouragement. Next, I'd like to do
024a couple of student recognitions. Um, so just just to mention some standout Somerset students. So, if your name is called, please just stand to be recognized. You already have received your medals or plaques or things that and and most of you are wearing them tonight. Um so the first designation that I'd like to recognize is our students who are career and technical education pathway completers. Uh all of these students that I'm going to name are in the area earned the the completion in the area of engineering and design. So these students completed both computer AED design and advanced computer AED design or CAD classes to earn the medallions that they're wearing this evening. So, will the following students please stand to be recognized? Devon Chambers. There he is. Iette Goodino. Sierra Ridge [Applause] Rididgeway. Ricard
025Rosas. Edward Styles, Kiana Tay, [Music] Jason Torres, and J Torres. All right, thank you. And this next student also earned a CTE pathway completer medallion, but this is in the area of food services and hospitality because he attended Calaps classes. So Duncan McFersonson, please stand to be [Applause] recognized. Congratulations to all of these CTE pathway completers. Next, oh yes, one more time. Good job, all of you. Next, I'd like to recognize a student who worked really hard to graduate a full year early. So, as part of the independent study program, so junior graduate Brianos, will you please stand to be [Applause] recognized? Good job. And lastly, I want to recognize some students who receive staff recognition awards this year. So each of these students received a plaque um that commemorates their achievement. If you haven't
026picked yours up yet, they're in the office um or some of them might be here tonight. So please stand when I call your name. First is the Bernard Raven Spirit of Somerset Award. Bernard Raven was the first principal of Somerset High School. And this year's Bernard Raven Award recipient is Julian Bera Olivan. This award is given to the student who best embodies the spirit and philosophy of Somerset High School. So, congratulations, Julian. And thank you for all the stuff you did at school. We appreciate it. Our next award is the Frank Wallant Award. This award is given to the most industrious student of the current school year. And this year's Frank Wallet Award recipient is Dion Chambers. Congratulations, Dion. Good job. And the next is a the Judy Reyes award. Judy Judy Reyes was another
027principal of Somerset High School. Uh the Judy C. Reyes award is given to a student who has become a positive role model for others. And no one is going to be surprised when I let you know that Gustavo Caro Contraus was our Judici Ray as award recipient. Thank you Gustavo for always showing such excellent excellent character. We appreciate that. Um and we're almost done here. We have a RF Kennedy Award. I'm not sure why it's not named after someone from the school, but the RF Kennedy Award recognizes a student who has been most involved in school activities. So, this year's most involved student is Mr. Trayvon Gladney. Will you please stand? [Applause] Thank you, Trayvon. There's a lot of things on campus that wouldn't exist without you, so we appreciate you. Uh, another former principal
028and counselor of Somerset is Joseph Stitz. This year's Joseph O. Stitz award recipient is Ivette Gudino. Will you please stand? This award is given to a student who is considered the most well-rounded in all aspects of being a student at Somerset. And I think we can agree. So, academics and involvement, all sorts of things. Good job, Evette. And then last but not least is the Marilyn McDow award. Uh, this is given to a student who is planning a career in education or counseling and who has excelled at Somerset as a student. I know this might not be totally the pathway that she's looking, but I know she's going to she's talking about going to uh university or Arizona State. Um, so this award is being given to Shadriana Williams. [Applause] All the best to you,
029Shay. All right, we're ready ready to get get the ball rolling. At this time, I'd like to uh call our interim superintendent, Lisa Asivo, to come to the lect turn to uh for the presentation of the Somerset High School 2020 2025 class. Good evening everyone. Good evening. Congratulations to our students. I'd like to thank everyone for making a very quick shift today. As expected, we plan to be outside with all of you and celebrating and thankful and grateful to our staff for making a very quick shift to make sure that you're all safe, happy, and dry inside. So, thank you for making that um change very quickly tonight. Thank you parents and students. So, as interim superintendent for the Belfar Unified School District, it's an honor to stand before the graduating class of 2025. Seniors,
030your dedication and determination have brought you to this milestone, and I couldn't be prouder of each one of you. You faced challenges with courage and perseverance, and now you're prepared to begin the next chapter in your lives. As you step off this stage tonight, know that your journey is just beginning. Pursue your passions, embrace new opportunities, and always believe in yourself. Miss Amy Stewart, president of the board of education, will you please stand? glad here. Thank you. By the authority vested in me by the state of California and the board of education, I do hereby certify the students of this class have completed the requirements for graduation as prescribed by California Ed Code and the policies of the Belfar Unified School District. Miss Stewart, it's with tremendous pride that I present you the class of
0312025 from Somerset High School. Thank you so much. I accept this certification and congrats to the graduates. You guys are amazing. Congrats. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Traon Gladley Duncan Mcerson Aaliyah Alamo, Joseph Kiwis. Please, Elizabeth Nunes. Gabrielle Mara. Sean Aoyo. Shadriana Williams, Raymond Avalos. Ava Ortega. Dylan Agam, Evelyn Loza. Morgan Anthony, Angelo Mendes, Ezekiel Bara, Alexis Mendoza Julian Bera, Olivan, Eddie Perez, Brian Btos, Kiana T. Mason Carell, Jacob Nah Aaron Catching Brian Pinterero Dion Chambers, Sierra Ridgeway Noriah Sherborn, Edward Styles, Gustavo Correra Contas Eren Sanchez Albana Mariel Contas, Ricarde [Music] Rosas. Here is K Justine Deon. Amen. Frank Bajardo, Noriega, Aaliyah Prince Faith Flores, Paradise, McGiffford. Nelson [Applause] Gdoi, Carl Thirsten. Alexandra Gonzalez, Canada, Dylan White, Emily Gonzalez, Dominique William, I bet Jason Torres Rudy Gutierrez Brian Hernandez, Mariah Salazar, Emily hits Janai Johnson. Hey, Devin
032Kemper. All right, that was fun. Students, you may be seated. Again, we'd like to thank the board of education and our interim superintendent for their direction, guidance, and support that you've provided all year long uh to Somerset High School, our whole community. I appreciate that. And at this time, I'd like to invite our one of our ASB presidents, Tayvon Gladney, to come up to the podium. [Applause] Trayvon is here to do the final presentation of our graduates. [Applause] [Music] How y'all doing? Doing good. Yeah. Good to see everybody. Everybody's here. But you know, I don't want to say too much. not here to say too much. Just, you know what I'm saying? Just to let y'all know, I want to let y'all know that, you know what I'm saying? We took a long journey here.
033You know what I mean? And it it was pretty hard. Real hard. A lot of us, we did a lot of work. Lot of work on an ingenuity package. Cubic gave us good work. I said good luck. You know what I'm saying? But yeah, other than that, what I say, class of 2025, please rise. Yeah, that means all y'all stand up. Means all y'all stand up. Yeah, that's right. That's right. All y'all stand up. Yeah. [Music] And now is the time to move our tassels to the right side of our graduation caps. To the left [Applause] side. That's what I love. [Applause] This signifies our achievements as graduates. Congratulations to class of 2025. All right, this concludes our graduation. Families, guests, your graduates are going to exit in this uh doors behind the stage. So,
034please remain seated until the recessional has been completed and then you may exit out through the front doors and meet your graduate outside in just a minute. We appreciate you all being here to celebrate the graduating class of 2025. Have a wonderful [Applause] [Music] [Applause] evening. Nice. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music]