Celebrating Our Students

Every spring, we celebrate students as they move to a higher level of education or into the workforce. It’s a time-honored tradition and most years, speeches sound a lot like they did the year before because students have had similar experiences. Not this year.

The graduating class of 2022 went through high school during the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of their sophomore year, the world had shut down and students were sent home while teachers scrambled to figure out how to deliver instruction remotely. Then they spent a whole year learning from home and another masked most of the time. Compare this to your high school experience.

In Kelseyville, our students not only have a variety of skills and learning styles, they come from diverse backgrounds that made daily life during the pandemic very different from household to household. Some of our students thrived while others struggled.

What I find inspiring is how our students supported each other and their families, and how they used their creativity and ingenuity to deal with their new reality. As they get ready to walk across the graduation stage this June, they have so much to be proud of, and the skills they’ve learned will serve them well as they spread their wings.

The most important thing about high school isn’t all the facts and figures students learn. It’s learning how to learn–and taking responsibility for how you want to show up in the world. Learning grammar is important, but the true value of writing is the process of figuring out what you believe and learning how to share it with others. Memorizing multiplication tables and formulas makes math tests easier, but the true value of mathematics is training your brain to seek logical solutions. Improving your vocabulary in a foreign language will help you get a good grade, but the true value of learning a foreign language is seeing the world from a new perspective.

In addition to these common high school experiences, our students have also learned to adapt in ways none of us could have imagined because of the pandemic. As our students prepare to go to college, pursue job training, or launch their careers, I can’t wait to see what they can accomplish.

My message to them is this: Everyone can be successful. Don’t stop learning. Continue to expand your horizons, challenge yourself. Always ask what else you can learn. If you want to get ahead, be that person who looks around and asks themselves how things could be better–then do something about it. The world is full of highs and lows. Your happiness will depend on how you respond to the world around you. It’s a choice you get to make every day. Go after your dreams and regardless of your next step, I wish you success.

All who are interested are welcome to attend our upcoming graduation and promotion ceremonies, here are the details.

Monday, June 13 at 7:00 pm - Ed Donaldson High School/Adult Education Graduation at the Kelseyville High School (KHS) Tom Aiken Student Center

Wednesday, June 15 at 2:00 pm - Kelseyville Learning Academy 8th Grade Promotion in the KVUSD Board Room at the District Office

Thursday, June 16 at 11:00 am - 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony at the KHS Football Stadium

Friday, June 17 at 8:00 pm - Kelseyville High School Ceremony at the KHS Football Stadium

Kelseyville Unified School District to livestream the 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony and Kelseyville High School Ceremony.