“Class of 2026. My final word to you as a class: Life is not about having everything figured out immediately. Most adults are still trying to figure it out, too. We’re just better at pretending….But what matters most is continuing to move forward, continuing to grow. Continuing to treat people with kindness and integrity along the way. And no matter where life takes you, always remember, once a diamond back, always a diamond back. You will forever be part of the Serrano family. Congratulations, class of 2026,” said Lisa Hansen, the current principal of Serrano High School, to the Class of 2026 during Serrano’s graduation ceremony, on June 11th.
The graduation ceremony was attended by numerous residents of Phelan, Wrightwood, Pinion Hills and beyond, who came together at Serrano High School to celebrate their loved one’s accomplishment of graduating from high school.
During the ceremony, Principal Lisa Hansen gave a speech to the class of 2026, reminding, the now former students that “life isn’t about having everything figured out immediately,” but what matters more importantly is “continuing to move forward and continuing to grow.”
Following Principal Hansen’s speech was the 2026 class Valedictorian, Tyson Gage, who shared an inspiring quote from Olympic Gold Medal track runner, Usain Bolt: “Comparison is the death of joy; the only person you should try to be is the person you were yesterday.”
After the Valedictorian’s uplifting speech, the second address to the class was made by student Davy Feller. Feller has lived in Wrightwood for about 8 years, and graduated with high honors. He says one thing he learned from his years in high school is patience and after graduation, Davy plans on attending college. He describes the class of 2026 with these three words: young and hardworking.
Finally, the Snowline School District Superintendent Dr. Ryan Holman gave his own heartfelt speech to the class of 2026, which was followed by the presentation of the diplomas.
As the names of the graduates were called, each one crossed the stage to receive their diploma; the excitement in the football field echoed the hopes and reflections many of them shared during interviews before celebrating their big accomplishment.
Before the graduation ceremony, I spoke with several of the senior students, each from Phelan, Pinion Hills, and Wrightwood.
One graduate was Samson Zilius, who has been a resident in Pinion Hills for 15 years and graduated with high honors. He recalls his first memory of walking on the Serrano High School campus. “The first memory I’ve ever had, well, I walked onto the campus with my parents, and they showed me around, and I learned about the campus and where everything was.” Over time, Samson got used to attending Serrano and learned that “you can get a lot further in life by being social rather than spectating what’s going on.” Reflecting on his experiences at Serrano, Samson says one piece of advice he would give to Serrano’s incoming Freshman class now would be, “enjoy the time you have now….enjoy your time as a kid and don’t let people tell you, you can’t wait to be an adult, you want to wait, enjoy your time with friends and enjoy the memories, enjoy everything while you can!”
Another graduate I spoke to was Joey Galaviz, a resident of Wrightwood for 15 years. He remembers when High school got tough, saying, “Throughout my entire Junior year, it was pretty bad. I had no friends, and I barely spoke at all, and what really kept me going was, well, this very moment…. graduating.”
And one of the last students I spoke to was Stephen Salazar who has lived in Phelan for 6 years and moved to Phelan in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over his years during the pandemic and navigating high school, he realized that sometimes people won’t like you, and it’s okay, because it shows more about them than you. He also recalls, “The hardest part of my move from a city to a rural area was getting to meet people, because remember, I moved here during COVID,” but he says he’s glad he moved and attended Serrano because it has led him to his next endeavor; college. Stephen now plans on attending San Francisco State University and majoring in History.
As for the graduates’ next steps, Principal Lisa Hansen, shared with me her final advice she gave to the class of 2026 saying, “It’s okay to try and fail, just keep trying.”
For the non-traditional schools, Jade Sanchez, who is a graduate from Chaparral High School, says to the class of 2026, “Years from now, when life gets overwhelming, remember this day, remember that you once stood on the edge of your future.”
On behalf of the NewsPlus team, we are all so happy for your great accomplishment. Congratulations to the Class of 2026!
