|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Menlo-Atherton High School’s Class of 2026 marked its graduation Friday with a call to speak freely and be heard, as student speakers reflected on identity, resilience and the sacrifices that made their voices possible.
Around 470 graduates received diplomas in the Atherton school’s 75th commencement ceremony on Coach Parks Field, named after the late football and wrestling coach. The June 5 ceremony featured speeches from students and school leaders reflecting on personal growth, family sacrifice and the lessons learned during their time at M-A, along with recognition of retiring staff and a celebration of the Class of 2026’s achievements.
Graduates Parmis Hoghooghi and Daniel Matloub spoke about their parents’ journey from Iran to America in search of a better life.
“They left a country where active voices are beaten into whispers. They left so their children wouldn’t be forced into silence. Every time I speak freely I’m indebted to them,” Matloub said, adding that the school’s debate team helped him find his voice. “My parents gave me the freedom to speak but M-A gave me the means to use that freedom.”
Hoghooghi encouraged her fellow M-A Bears to carry forward a commitment to speaking out.
“Bears, when you leave here today, I want you to remember the phrase, ‘Zan, Zendegi, Azadi,’ which is a Persian phrase that honors the courage of women, men and children who yearn for the freedom to speak without consequence,” Hoghooghi said. “Let us remember that it is not just important to speak up, but an essential human right.”
A graduate moves their tassel to the left at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton on June 5, 2026. Photo by Giselle Garza Lerma. 
Family and friends celebrate graduates at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton on June 5, 2026. Photo by Giselle Garza Lerma. 
A new grad celebrates and cheers after receiving a diploma folder at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton on June 5, 2026. Photo by Giselle Garza Lerma. 
Ben Carlisle, gives his senior speech at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton on June 5, 2026. Photo by Giselle Garza Lerma.
Seniors Kealy Bryman performed the national anthem and Bryman and Caroline Connaghan sang “Slipping Through My Fingers” by ABBA.
Principal Karl Losekoot joked that he tried to use ChatGPT to write the graduation speech, only to find it couldn’t come close to recognizing the experience of the class of 2026, which included this year’s spring musical, “Chicago: Teen Edition.”
“How can AI capture the hard work our students and the seniors in this field put into supporting and performing in Chicago? Or capture the joy of the most recent Battle of the Bands event?” Losekoot said.
He closed by emphasizing the value of lived experience. “To our graduates here today, nothing can replicate the lessons you have learned through your own experience: no matter what neighborhood you grew up in, what classes you took or whether you were involved in sports, the arts, community service, or none of the above,” Losekoot said. “If you can listen to your feelings and reflect on your experiences, you will develop a perspective unique to you and one that no algorithm can replicate.
Losekoot also recognized five retiring teachers: Candace Bolles, Tim Bowler, Manuel Delgado, Laura Mercer and Liane Strub.
Other speakers highlighted personal challenges and growth during their time at Menlo-Atherton.
“Some of you might view me as a little odd,” said Ben Carlisle, who spoke about his experience as a neurodivergent student. “I’m worried that the world will not be as kind of a place as Menlo-Atherton High School.”
“I think we need kindness in the world and my fellow graduates, you can help me,” Carlisle said. He asked classmates to make connections with people by greeting them with their names, remembering their birthdays and accepting them for who they are. “If everyone did these three things, the world would be better. M-A graduates, I’m so proud of you. And I think you’ll make the world a better place.”
Graduates stand at the ceremony at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton on June 5, 2026. Photo by Giselle Garza Lerma. 
Graduates fill the field at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton on June 5, 2026. Photo by Giselle Garza Lerma. 
Family and friends celebrate graduates at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton on June 5, 2026. Photo by Giselle Garza Lerma.
Senior Zachary Quintana echoed this sentiment and talked about his focus on learning more about the people at Menlo-Atherton.
“Everyone — even and especially — those we least expect has a story to tell,” Quintana said.
Graduate Nora Sainz spoke about her mother’s experience at Menlo-Atherton High School 30 years ago, recounting that she did not make it past her freshman year. Sainz said she also struggled at first, but once she made a friend she started looking forward to coming to school.
“Standing here today doesn’t just feel like my accomplishment, it feels like something that belongs to the both of us,” Sainz said.
Students chose the staff member or teacher who presented their diplomas. Sequoia Union High School District Trustee Sathvik Nori, an M-A graduate, and Assistant Superintendent Elizabeth Chacon ceremonially accepted the class.
Editor’s Note: Sequoia Union High School District declined to provide a list of the names of the graduates at all of its campuses this year.
