WHITTIER – The Whittier Union High School District celebrated the Class of 2019 during commencement ceremonies that featured poignant speeches, tears of joy and cheers of excitement from families and staff, and close to 2,800 seniors ready to pursue the next step of their academic and professional careers.

Frontier and Sierra Vista high schools, the Whittier Adult School and the District’s Transition program held ceremonies on June 3. California and Santa Fe high schools held celebrations on June 4. La Serna, Pioneer and Whittier high schools held commencements on June 5.

“We are so proud of our amazing and talented students, who are heading toward new adventures, attending colleges and universities at home and across the country, pursuing interesting and competitive careers, and overcoming obstacles to pursue their dreams and make their families proud,” Superintendent Martin Plourde said. “Our students are young, their futures are bright and they have received the highest quality education from the best educators around while at Whittier Union. We have no doubt they will continue to succeed and wish them nothing but the best.”

Whittier Union students plan on attending four-year universities and prestigious higher education institutions, including Yale, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC and UC Davis, as well as community colleges and vocational schools in the state and throughout the country. Many students are also pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers, such as bioengineering, neuroscience and biology. Some students will also enter military service or join the workforce.

This year, students were awarded thousands of dollars in local and national scholarships, including Edison and Dell scholarships, while many students were awarded full-ride athletic scholarships.

“To all of our students who have worked arduously to reach this milestone, I am here, along with our entire staff, to tell you that we are proud of you and this is just the beginning of your lives,” Santa Fe High School Principal Craig Campbell said. “The real work has yet to begin, but know that you are as prepared, if not more, than any other graduating class to be successful in whatever path you choose, and I know many of you will make a great impact on this world both locally and globally.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

061019_WUHSD_GRAD1: California High School graduated 650 students on June 4.

061019_WUHSD_GRAD2: La Serna High School graduated 580 seniors on June 5.

061019_WUHSD_GRAD3: Pioneer High School graduated 303 seniors on June 5.

061019_WUHSD_GRAD4: Santa Fe High School graduated 512 seniors on June 4.

061019_WUHSD_GRAD5: Whittier High School graduated 430 students on June 5.

061019_WUHSD_GRAD6: Frontier High School, Sierra Vista High School and the Whittier Adult School held a joint commencement ceremony on June 4, during which 267 students were recognized.