Pasco High School graduation: ‘courageous and confident’

More than a thousand people braved the early-morning heat Saturday, filling Edgar Brown Stadium to the brim to watch 365 students graduate from Pasco High School.

Pasco High Principal Raul Sital congratulated the Class of 2015 on dedicating themselves to education and overcoming obstacles to make it to graduation day.

“They are courageous and confident in the pursuit of (their) dreams,” he said.

Some of the senior class valedictorians — Ronny Banh, Daphne Gallegos, Zara Guzman, Julianna Munden and Sierra Perez — spoke to their fellow students about cherishing the years they spent together and also striving for a bright future.

“What we all have in common is never giving up,” Perez told her classmates. “Today we have accomplished something special.”

Guzman askedstudents to be excited on graduation day about what the future holds.

“Today is the beginning of a new chapter,” she said.

Jenifer Arguello Herrera gave the bilingual address and shared the struggles she overcome while learning a new language after coming to the United States. However, she said she now wants to be a bilingual teacher after her experience at Pasco High.

Before the diplomas were handed out and caps were tossed high into the sunny sky, student Morgan Thompson left the class with a little piece of advice.

“Never give up that Bulldog heart,” she said.

This story was originally published June 6, 2015 at 12:19 PM with the headline "Pasco High School graduation: ‘courageous and confident’."