Loved ones and supporters packed out Hawk Stadium to celebrate 455 graduating seniors, who received diplomas from Silverado High School in Victorville.
The 28th commencement ceremony was held on Wednesday, May 20 at the 32-year-old school near Palmdale Road.
In her speech, Principal Heather Conkle noted some of the unusual attributes of the class of 2026, including an incredible seven sets of twins and eight students whose parents graduated from the same school a generation ago, Victor Valley Union High School District officials stated.
The graduating class also boasts a winner of the prestigious Gates Scholarship: co-Salutatorian Cherrish Johnson, who plans to attend Howard University.
The other co-Salutatorian was Michelle Duran, and this year’s Valedictorian was Kamori Armstrong, who plans to attend Villanova University.
Nearly 60% of this year’s grads are A-G college-ready, a record for the school, with the Hawks having one of the highest A-G percentages in the High Desert, according to the district.
Before the names were called and the fireworks lit up the night sky, Conkle put the students’ accomplishment in perspective with the number 720.
“That’s how many school days it took to get here,” Conkle told the graduates. “It was 720 mornings you showed up, 720 afternoons you pushed through, 720 days where you stacked small wins on top of one another until they became a big win. … What makes tonight special is not perfection. It’s persistence.”
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Silverado High School celebrates 455 soaring hawk graduates
Reporting by Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
