There was a special feeling in the air on Friday night, as members of the Class of 2024 at Escalon High School gathered for the 104th Commencement for EHS.
It is a class that started their high school journey through distance learning, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Even when they first got to attend on-campus classes, there were mask requirements, social distance guidelines and plenty of obstacles.
But it is a class that persevered … and arrived at graduation day having packed as much in to their high school years as possible.
The class also was the first senior class to graduate on the newly renovated Engel Field, as the 2023 graduation was hosted at Modesto Junior College.
The May 31 ceremony began at 7 p.m. with the Processional performed by the Escalon High Band, followed by welcoming remarks from Principal Jason Furtado.
Senior Faith Reyes took the podium to lead the National Anthem, and was followed on stage by her twin sister Destiny Reyes, who addressed the graduates and the crowd in her role as senior class president.
Assistant Principal Daniel Taylor noted the many students who had received various scholarships, and announced some student recognition, including those graduating with honors and those earning the Golden Seal of Biliteracy, as well as CSF Life Members.
Valedictorian Shehab Algaheim offered unique thoughts in his address, detailing some inside jokes as well as providing a general overview for the class.
“Today as we approach a new chapter of life, I’m overwhelmed with appreciation and gratitude for the privilege of addressing you as your Valedictorian,” Algaheim told the crowd, staff, faculty and fellow students. “Our path to this point has been difficult, fulfilling, and filled with life-changing events that have molded us … regardless of the unique routes that we followed throughout our journey, we have all shared a collective experience of high school life together.”
Class members later rose as one and joined in singing the Alma Mater one final time before receiving their diplomas. School board members including President Nick Caton, Vice President Kate Powell, Clerk John Largent and members Martha Coelho and Sal Reyes helped present the diplomas. For Reyes, it was a special honor to hand diplomas to both his daughters, Faith and Destiny, as part of the graduation ceremony.
“It feels great, just great,” Faith admitted of getting her diploma and taking part in the graduation itself, thanking her classmates for helping her out with the anthem to get the evening started.
“It’s very memorable and our class is super close with each other … we have that family aspect,” Destiny added. “I have so much love for this school and this class.”
Celebrating on the field afterward with her mom and sister, new graduate Brittany Gomez was taking it all in.
“I was really nervous but excited at the same time and I’m really happy that I got to graduate today, with honors,” she said, adding that her best memories of EHS center on the strong relationships formed with her friends and teachers.
She will be heading to Modesto Junior College to enter the medical assistant program there.
Elsewhere, Marcos Manon was sharing the moment with his family.
“It feels good to be a graduate, it feels good, I’m happy, I feel accomplished to be graduated; wouldn’t think I would have made it but, at the end of the day, I did,” Manon said with a smile.
He also plans to start his college career at MJC, where he will study auto mechanics.
It was a bittersweet moment for Grace Spurgeon, happy to be graduating but sad to be leaving EHS behind.
“To see everyone succeed in high school, in our class, everybody graduated,” she noted of what she enjoyed most. “The speakers were amazing, Shehab did great, Destiny did great, I loved the speeches, it brought back memories that were just, like, deep down with us, too.”
Nicholas Pacheco was surrounded by family members, surveying the scene on Engel Field as his fellow graduates took photos and celebrated their graduation night.
“It was good; a little stressful but I didn’t mind it, I thought it was fun. I had fun,” he said of the ceremony.
As far as his best memory from his days as a Cougar in the halls of EHS?
“Just going to class with my friends, being able to hang out with my friends and go through all of school with them,” Pacheco said.
So, the class that started with distance learning has now come full circle, celebrating their accomplishments with each other, their families, teachers, administrators and a supportive community.
