Maricopa High School graduates 115 students in Friday night ceremony

To the traditional strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” 115 Maricopa High School seniors received diplomas in a ceremony held on the football field Friday night.

Thomas Mastroianni sang the “National Anthem” followed by Charlee Honeycutt, class secretary, who offered the class welcome. “This is a different journey, helping us put the lessons we’ve learned to use.” She advised the class, “Shoot for the moon. Even if we miss, we’ll land among the stars.”

Graduation ceremonies were student led, planned by the top ten students in the Class of 2007. Senior Tony Pham was master of ceremonies for the event, which was based on the class motto: “The past is my heritage, the present my responsibility, the future my challenge.”

Basketball MVP Ulises Rojas, Volleyball MVP Kelsey Early and Athlete of the Year Kayla Valisto offered their thoughts on the past as their heritage. “The past, whether good or bad, has brought us to this moment,” said Valisto.

Michael Compian and Johnnie Cyr talked about the present and the friendships made at Maricopa High School.

Pham and Jessica Schwanbeck told the audience and their classmates, “We’re proud of where we come from and excited to be moving on.”

Salutatorian Kari Baker congratulated the class for achieving their goals, meeting standards and holding onto their beliefs. “We are ready to shut the doors of high school and open the door to the future,” she said.

Austin and Clinton Anderson, co-valedictorians, offered their top seven lessons for life, including “hard work and a little sweat never hurt anyone; prepare for the worst and hope for the best and don’t underestimate anything.”

Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Flores was the evening’s guest speaker. He recounted the district’s rapid growth, almost 50 percent, to include more languages and more cultures, “a reflection of the world.”

Enumerating the many educational, scientific and technological advances in the past few years, he noted in the world today, “The challenges are definitely greater, and solutions will not come easily.”

Flores urged the graduates to “Never stop learning, never give up on your dreams, leave negativity behind and never forget your roots – your parents and teachers.” He ended with a quote and advice to the graduates, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Photos by Aaron Thacker