More than 220 senior graduates began the next chapter in their life after Orestimba High held its graduation ceremony last Friday at Warrior Stadium.

The more-than-two hour ceremony focused on celebrating a huge milestone and recognizing the accomplishments of individual students. In addition, student speakers reflected on their four years while making light-hearted jokes to some of their teachers.

Prior to the ceremony, multiple teachers and staff members at Orestimba all lined up on each side of the pathway. Principal Leslie Suffecool and Assistant Principals Aaron Souza and Brittney Bloom led the seniors to the field. As the seniors walked on the pathway, they were met with high fives and words of encouragement from staff members.

Student Body President Evan Gutierrez began Friday’s ceremony by leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Afterwards, Ella Moore sang the National Anthem, which gained cheers from attendees sitting in the home and visitors’ bleachers.

Afterwards, Souza began recognizing students who were a part of the school’s organizations, completed a Career Technical Education (CTE) pathway, or either reclassified.

The first student address was the salutatorian address led by Giovanni Cerna, Jennifer Lozano De Anda and Mallory Solano.

Cerna, the first speaker, opened the address by thanking his family members for their support and pushing him to be better. He said his teachers, such as Joel Gardner, Harold Peeples and Andre Powell, made the beginning of high school bearable. Cerna also shouted-out Gardner, referencing a promise he made to his teacher during his freshman year.

“The people you surround yourself with will always make a difference,” Cerna said. “Year round, those [individuals] will hit you up and support you because in the end, success is so much more when you have people beside you to share with.”

De Anda spoke later about what Friday’s ceremony meant for her peers and herself. She said everyone had the goal of graduating while having different experiences through these past four years.

Solano said this milestone was emotional for her as she saw her siblings graduate and move on with their lives. For her, it was trying to live up to expectations while carving her own path, she said.

“Every other child has had the feeling of trying to fill in the basement carved out by their siblings,” Solano said.

While being the youngest can have its drawbacks, it could also be an advantage from knowing what to do to lowering parents’ expectations, she said.

“At a young age, you never really believe older people when they say high school goes by fast,” Solano said. “As I’m standing in front of you, I can firmly say that they were not lying when they said this.”

After Solano was the final speech given by Valedictorian Genesis Nunez. Nunez opened her keynote by thanking her teachers and friends for their support during her best and worst moments.

She later spoke about how connected the communities are in Newman despite being a small town and how she was proud to be raised by immigrant parents. Nunez said students from first-generation parents should be proud of receiving their diploma.

“You are taking the course for future generations of your family. So please know that it’s no small thing to earn that diploma,” she said.

For Nunez, her journey continues in the fall, but not in California. Instead, she will move to New Haven, Conn. where she will attend Yale University and study in history of science, medicine, and public health to become a doctor.

Students were later recognized for individual awards. Mannex Baker was recognized for the school’s Eagle Award. The award honors a student who has dealt with adversity and persevered through it.

Upon hearing his name, Baker walked to the stage and held the trophy with Suffecool for a photo. His name will appear on the engraving plate, Suffecool said.

Following the student award recognitions, single file lines were formed for the seniors to receive their diploma. As the final set of diplomas, family members eagerly lined up on the pathway behind security staff.

As the confetti went in the air, attendees stormed the field to celebrate the students’ milestone.