It’s an annual event at Menlo-Atherton High School, a Thursday in early June when seniors assemble on the football field around 4 p.m. to initiate their final moments as high school students.
At M-A’s commencement ceremony on June 4, senior Jessica Truax led the pledge of allegiance to the flag, which was brought in by a contingent of U.S. Marines. The singing of the national anthem followed, led by the school choir under the direction of Patrick Maier.
Senior Brittany Margot made the official welcome to the gathering of seniors, parents, relatives and friends.
Four seniors spoke to the crowd: Ms. Margot gave a speech entitled “You had to be there,” followed by Jasmine Berk, who talked about “Saying goodbye.” Next came Yu Kambe and Tiffany Kung with “A formal congratulations; free yourself from expectations,” and Mele Latu with a talk called “Loto to’a.”
Principal Matthew Zito spoke and presented the class to Olivia Martinez, a trustee with the Sequoia Union High School District; and Debra Moore Washington, an assistant superintendent with the district.
M-A staff chosen by the Class of 2009 matched diplomas with graduates as their names were called out. With that, and with mortarboard tassels adjusted to reflect the seniors’ new status, the event drew to a close.
Graduates
A Christian Abrego, Navid Nick Afsarifard, Orlando Aguirre, Hassany Agustin Alejandre, Katherine Rose Altman-Merino, Benito Amaral, Alex Perry Amato, Nancy Analco, Evelyn Angulo, Diana Arellano, Abi Arias, Anthony James Armendariz, Amanda Avery
B Katherine Christine Babcock, Alexander Albert Barker, Nora Elizabeth Fithian Barnard, Brenda Graciela Barragan, Michael Baskin, Demi Katherine Battaglia, Jeffrey Stephen Bell, Nicholas Parish Beltramo, Monserrat Benavides, Jasmine Ann Berk, Jordan Francis Berry, Catherine Anne Blawie, Jared Evan Bloom, Alexander James Boesch, Kevin George Bohannon, Ryan David Bohannon, Sylvia Parsons Bowditch, Rachel Lyn Bowley, Kelli Lynn Branning, Hannah Rose Breen, Jackson Lee Brian, Jonathan Dale Brody, Marion Isabelle Brossard, Rachel Sierra Brown, Adam Ross Brownstein, Kevin Jeffrey Burks, Cassandra Eve Burnett, Sophia Butler
C Karla Jasmin Cacho, Victor Calderon Zamora, Mark Evan Calvarese, Anarika Cardenas, Sarah Barbara Carp, Jonathan Carranza, Anthony Cesar Casillas, Jose Felix Castro Jr., Ada Yan-Yee Chan, Daniel Chao, Juliana Chavez, Luis Alonso Chavez, Nathaniel Wyson Chow, Benjamin Wesley Chute, Talia Rachel Citron, Cameron Michael Cogan, William Russin Cohen, John Joseph Contreras, Julia Marie Cook, Robert Thomas Cooper, Rene Alfredo Corado Figueroa, Rosa Maria Correa, Melanie Chiyoko Cortez, David Dresean Marchise Council-Jackson, Andrew Scott Creighton, Vera Marta Czernichowska
D Andrew Kerwin Dahlkemper II, Madeline Elizabeth Davis, Maria Monika Decker, Peter DeFilipps, Diana Olivia Deras, Jessica Diaz, Kristina J. Dokonal, Sasha Sarvenaz Duchin, Stephen Matthew Durdle, Vernon Wendell Durham Jr.
E Janelle Eastman, John Richard Eberli, Kendall Louise Eder, Ameena Hossam El-Din El-Bibany, Troy Richard Ellison, Melissa Yesenia Espinoza Garnica, Yadira Isabel Espinoza-Rangel, Daniel Alonso Esquivel, Nikole Chantale Estrada, Roberto Antonio Estrada, Melissa Evans
F Mara Fabiano, Mary C. Fakalata, Alexandra Alyssa Fanelli, Joel Feier, Nicholas Lee Felt, Rah’seem Allen Ferguson, Losaline Finau-Lavemai, Catherine Elizabeth Fisher, Charles A. Fitz, Chris Fitzgerald, Matthew M. Fitzgerald, Kaitlin Flanagan, Kenny Flores, Miguel Alberto Flores, Alexandra Justine Foraker, Jack C. Fornaciari, Clark Spencer Forsaith, David E. Foster, Daniel Fountain, Michael Fountain, Mark Benjamin Frankle, Kaitlin Marie Fronberg, Sara Furney-Howe
G Joshua Nathaniel Galvez, Justine Avery Gananian, Janet Garcia, Caleb Geballe, Habtamu Getasew, Gina Giarmo, Daniela Gil, Emily Grace Goldberg, Robert Goodwin III, Alexander Greenblatt, Dominique Jasmine Nicole Greene, Brittney Guitron
H Melissa Anne Hall, Sabrina Giulia Hamadé, Haley Ann Harrier, Aleah Catherine Harris, Tamara Hasoon, Luis Fernando Hernandez, Uriel H. Hernandez, Christopher P. Higgins, Catherine Emma Higgitt, Haley Katharine Hoech, Adrian Fae Holland, Garrett J. Hom, Richard Hong, Simon Leo Hood, Amelia M. Hopoi, Matthew Hornberger, George M Horowitz, Letice Hubbard, Adriana N. Huerta, Esmeralda Huerta, Isaak Cameron Huerta, Angelica Hueso, Brittany E. Hume, Nicholas Allen Hurn, Jessie Rose Hutt
I – K David Ibarra, David A. Ing, Thomas A. Ivy, Kaitlyn K. Iwashita, Benjamin John Jackson, Paul Jacob, Mariana Atali Jacuinde, Alexis Jenkins, Jerry Duval Jenkins, Forrest A. Jensen, Sara Ann Jewell, Mika Sugimura Jiaravanont, Danny Jimenez Caballero, Eileen Johnson, Brian Jordan, Jessica M. Juhasz, Yu Kambe, Hideyo M. Kameda, Mari Kaneshima, Jonathan Kenneth Kaslow, Stephanie Elizabeth Keith, Christopher Kelvie, Lindsay Caroline Kelvie, Jonathan Kieninger, Samuel William Knapp, Lauren Knox, Sonia Mira Kolarov, Stephen Michael Krause, Konstantin Kuehn, Tiffany H. Kung
L Patrick Galloway LaBarre, Martin Laguna, Mikalie Yuen Wai Lai, Angela Lam, David Lara, Jonathan Lara, Mele Kasavu Latu, Jeffrey Paul Leanse, Amanda Rochelle Lee, Morgan Ashley Leech, Daniel Leggett, Conrad Leugers, Marianne Ada LeVine, Gregory Charles Liggett, Jeffrey Michael Lin, Sarah Lipps, Emily Elizabeth Little, Kari Ann Loftesness, Brizzia Lopez C.
M Remo Macartney, Brenda Maciel, Joe Magaña, Sarah Allison Maibach, Soakimi Maka, Carmen Maldonado, Brittany Jeannette Margot, Juvenal Marin, Nancy Martin-Mendez, Raissa Lorette Masket, Jose Felix Mayen, Madeline Mayerson, Isabella Marie McClure, Ryan Neil McGill, David George McLaughlin, Devon McNabb, Aysha Meacham, Miryan Medina, Khevna Mehta, Kelly Mellenthin, Salvador Mendes, Dale Miller, Laura Brooke Mitchell, Chelsea Mongird, Casey Cameron Monroe, Paige Elizabeth Montgomery, Thomas E. Moore IV, Jocelyn Morales, Carla Moran, Molly Brett Gui Xin Murphy, Anna Malka Murveit
N – O Elizabeth Rei Nakamura, Roderick Nash, Jacqueline Nicole Naylor, Michael Needle, Michael Nelson, Michael Cory Nelson, Michael Andrew Newsom, Nora Ng-Quinn, Helena Dengelei Ngirkelau, Sandrine Nicolet, Francis Robert O’Hare, Haley Rebekah O’Neel, Ashley Marie Olin, Ana Ongko, Vanessa Bradamante Ortiz, Katherine Orton, Lauren Elizabeth Osgood
P Erica Palmieri, Sheri Park, Lizette Patiño, Julia Allison Peck, Samuel Ripley Peirce, Erik Perez, Jazmin Perez-Yen, Pedro Perez, Russell Shigeji Perkins, Andrew Van Pham, Anthony Van Pham, Freddie Pierce, Crecensiano Pineda, Rachel Michelle Pomales, Alina Prasad, Martin W. Preston, Stephanie Emel Joan Proctor, Stephan Putman, Adi Ceva Qauqau, Keenan Alexander Quijano
R Maren Johanna Ramleth, Saydi Ramos, Julia Dory Ransohoff, Andrea Real, Karla Revuelta, Marco Rivas, Isikeli Allen Roberts, Rubi Rocha, Kirsten Elizabeth Rodgers, Ali Rodriguez de la Rosa, Jorge Alberto Rodriguez, Timothy George Shalhoob Romley, Alissa Hollander Rubin, Elise Sarah Rudolph, Maria Rueda, Alexander W. Rupprecht
S Nadia Saad, Raquel Saavedra, Nicholas R. Sako, Ariana Danae Sanchez, Cuauhtemoc Sanchez, Nancy Sanchez, Jameca Lawryn Rene Sanders, Joey Sandoval, Eduardo Santana Jr., Rishikesh Santhanam, Justine Santiago, Ashley Nitda Sayavong, Ryan Michael Scandlyn, Nicole Scherm, Sean Schooler, Steven Reid Schultz, Jessica Schwab, Ariana Kaurin Kapany Schwarz, Amrita Sehgal, Maria Olga Serrano, Alexandra Sewell, Garrett J. Sharp, Kevin David Sheridan, Lauren TseWren Shimbo, Eric Joseph Siegel, Adrian Silva, Monica Sisavat, Jeffrey Michael Sklarin, Jay Slavik, Cheri Lisa Slightam, Chelsea Jonelle Snow, Jia Jun Nicholas Soon, Malena Jennae Spar, Eric Stanske, Samantha Kathryn Stelzer, Aron Paul Sue, Katharine Sullivan
T Hema Takau, Viliami Tomoelupe Talakai, Karyna Tapia, Samuel V. Tavera, Jorge Tejeda, Sean Michael Terribilini, Julia K. Tetrud, Mele Taumoepeau Teu, Roger Alexander Tonna II, Elizabeth Toribio, Greg Torres, Paola Tovar, Janna Frances Traeger, Kaitlyn Michelle Treadwell, Jessica Truax, Takai M. Tuionetoa, Oliver James Tully, Patricia Tupou
U – V Adin Samuel Vaewsorn, Koloamatangi Gary Vailala, Siuila Vainikolo, Daniel Valencia, David Valencia, Sergio Valencia, Stephanie Denise Valencia, Karina Guadalupe Valverde, Emily Moran Van Rheenen, Rachel Lee Verity, Kevin Viegas
W – Z Elizabeth J. Wagstaffe, Megan Karryn Walling, Neil Andersen Watters, Robert V. Weber, Brooke D. Weisenfluh, Ryan Anthony Weiss, Jeremy Alan Welsh, Lindsay Louise Welton, Aaron Wiener, Jason Williams, Joseph Frederick Williamson IV, James Stuart Wilson, Matthew K. Wood, Marisa Zuk
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