‘We got through it.’ Merced County west side graduates reflect on triumph over challenges

After a year framed by COVID, distance learning and other myriad challenges, graduates from high schools on Merced County’s west side recently took the stage wearing stoles, colorful gowns — and infectious smiles.

Los Banos High and Pacheco High held their in-person graduation ceremonies on Saturday and Monday respectively. Gustine Unified School District’s high schools — Gustine and Pioneer High — held their ceremonies on Friday, June 4.

Dos Palos Unified High School District’s two high schools — Dos Palos High School and the George Christian Education Center — also had graduations in early June. George Christian’s happened Tuesday, June 1 and Dos Palos High’s took place on Friday, June 4.

In total, there were 380 seniors who graduated from Pacheco High School and 293 seniors from Los Banos High School. Overall, around, 728 students graduated from Los Banos Unified School District. An estimated total of 280 students graduated from schools in Gustine and Dos Palos.

Attendees cheered for their graduates as loud as they could behind their masks, as graduates shared how they were able to endure and thrive amid an atypical year.

“When COVID-19 hit, it brought us down to the biggest hit we could imagine, but we got through it,” Felicity Marquez, Los Banos High’s senior class president, told the graduating class Saturday. “Today we take those hits and use them to conquer anything life has ready for us.”

Although students spent the better part of the year away from in-person classes, Pacheco High Principal Daniel Sutton said the greatest lesson teachers and faculty learned was cherishing the time students were on campus.

Even with the difficulties posed by distance learning, Skylar Shryrock said the hardest part of the school year was saying goodbye to teachers.

Shryrock, Pacheco High’s valedictorian, said teachers were there for students amid the stress of the pandemic. She said it was encouragement from teachers and classmates that pushed students to work hard until they were able to receive their diplomas.

“The fact that you are here is the best ending anyone could ever ask for,” Shyrock said.

“I am so proud of all of you. We deserve a big moment, this moment right here, the acknowledgment of all of our hard work. It wasn’t easy. We have had challenges no other class has ever had to face. And the fact that we get to walk across the stage means that we overcame all of that.”

Pushing through the hurdles of distance learning, copious amounts of homework and studying is what made graduation sweeter not only for Los Banos High School Valedictorian Madelyn Brizzee, but for her peers as well.

“It’s honestly just a good feeling to know that I’m graduating with all of my friends and it’s finally over and we get to move on to a bigger and better chapter of our lives,” Brizzee told the Sun-Star. “Distance learning was not so fun, but we got to graduate and do something this year and got to have a graduation night.”

Los Banos High Principal Jason Waltman encouraged the graduating class to use this year as a reminder that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to academically or in their chosen careers.

Shawn Singh Gill, Pacheco High salutatorian, said overcoming those challenges will benefit the graduates’ future studies and careers. “We survived the craziest year of all, senior year,” Gill said to his fellow graduates.

“Who would have thought we’d experience a year-long pandemic in the 21st century? Yes, we did experience it and made it through the other side, we made it not because we are strong but because we are Panther strong.”