Page 8 - Reedley Exponent 6-7-18 E-edition

GRADUATION Continued from page A2
munity and into life, there’s some honor and integrity that just makes you feel good.”
A short distance away, Li- sa Bueno — a teacher and the adviser to the RHS chapter of Family, Career and Communi- ty Leaders of America — said the Class of 2018 has been her favorite. She had 70 seniors in her “On Your Own” courses and was impressed by their personalities and the respect they have shown.
Bueno recently gave each of them a necklace that stated “You Made a Difference.” She told them they had done so in her life and that they would “’make a difference in every- body that you come into con- tact with,’ I said, ‘because you guys are those kind of people.’”
•••
The audience was intro-
duced to seniors who had earned notable achievements. • In addition to Barragan and Santos, the other Pirate Pillars were Kimiko Ayers, Samuel Escareno, Maria Jo- sebet Gonzalez Luna, Elidet Martinez, Lorena Orozco, Gregory Andrew Quintanilla, Robert Steven Reitz and Bris-
sa Joey Reyes.
• The valedictorians in-
cluded Ayers, Barragan, San- tos, Luna Gonzalez, Martinez, Orozco, Quintanilla, Reitz and Reyes. The others were Dan- iel Antonio Cantu Badilla, Cynthia Natalie Delgado, Ig- nacio Gordillo Herrejon, Ki- era Henry Laney, Victor Hu- go Hernandez Garcia, Michel Kiyoshi Ito, Paige Raylene Linss, Jasmine Mejia, Jacob Anthony Peters, Roberto Car- los Pimentel, Brianna Celeste Rodriguez, Janet Rodriguez, Manraj Singh Shergill, Johna- than Oscar Valadez and Bri- anna Yanez.
• The salutatorians, in ad- dition to Escareno, were Ber- enice Lizbeth Bastian, Rosa Marina Corcoles, Rosa Maria Herrejon Perez, Maria Gua- dalupe Ibarra Garcia, Marco Alfredo Leyva Zarate, Neli Licea-Hernandez, Drew Keen- an Luther, Samantha Dennise Molina and Julissa Esmeralda Sanchez.
Principal Ahlin also an- nounced four special awards
The Reedley Exponent A8 Thursday, June 7, 2018 planted here” and said the
HOMICIDE Continued from page A1
his head.
Officers attempted car-
diopulmonary resuscitation before Frias was transported to Adventist Medical Center- Reedley, where he was pro- nounced dead.
Garza said it was a close range shooting, and Frias had multiple wounds to the head area. The chief said that the victim did have some gang ties from Tulare County.
Garza also said that Frias did not live in the area where the shooting occurred.
“We know he did not live in that area, and we don’t be-
lieve the suspects are from that neighborhood, either,” he said. “It was just a ran- dom spot. We’re pretty con- fident that no one involved
lived in that area.”
Garza said that anyone
who may have information about the shooting is asked to call detectives with the Reedley Police Department at 637-4250. The public also can call the department’s tip lines at (559) 356-8690 (Eng- lish) or 246-4183 (Spanish).
No arrests were made in the 2015 Reedley Beach shooting that killed a man and wounded a woman. That crime was believed to be gang-related.
that evening:
• The Reedley High
School Principal Award was presented to Angel Curtis. The honor is given to a senior who started slowly but “figured it out and finished strong.”
• The Renaissance Award was presented to Hassnain Abdo. Ahlin said the honor is given to a student “who gives their all, especially when life pushes very hard.” He said past recipients were coura- geous, confident and strong, and that the award also rec- ognizes those with integrity, discipline and diligence.
• The Leader of Tomor-
ABOVE: Graduates from Reedley High School’s Class of 2018 cheer as fireworks light up the sky during the May 31 ceremony at RHS stadium.
Felicia Cousart Matlosz / The Exponent
LEFT: Taylor Kanawyer smiles as she walks to her seat at the start of Reedley High School’s 118th graduation ceremony.
Chris Aguirre / The Exponent
row Awards are bestowed on a young woman and a young man who “we know are go- ing to go out in the world and make it a better place,” Ahlin said. He also said there were many deserving students. The awards were presented to Ja- cob Peters and Rosa Corcoles.
Noel Remick, president of the Kings Canyon Uni- fied School District govern- ing board, said he hoped the seniors felt gratitude to their parents, families, teachers and all the other people who have supported them. He asked them to “always re- member the roots you have
people at home “look forward to hearing about the wonder- ful things you will accomplish in the future.”
“You have made us proud,” Remick said. “God bless you and good luck.”
•••
A highlight of the gradua-
tion ceremony, of course, was the moment each senior heard his or her name announced, and the diploma was present- ed by a KCUSD board mem- ber. Each senior then posed for a picture and picked a flower from a large vase. Ah- lin shook each senior’s hand before that student headed back to a seat.
Families and friends in the stands cheered and applauded loudly when they heard the name they had waited for. Among the seniors, the loud- est roars and applause were for Jack Welsh, who has Down syndrome and has been a pop- ular Pirates manager for foot- ball, basketball and baseball.
Once the last name — Matthew Justin Zuniga — was read, Ahlin asked KCUSD Su- perintendent John Campbell to officially confer that the seniors now were graduates. Campbell did so with gusto and added “Congratulations, Class of 2018!”
Fireworks lit up the sky. The journey for the new graduates would continue be- yond commencement, a word that means the “beginning of something,” according to the Cambridge Dictionary.
During the ceremony, se- nior Giselle Reyna was the other senior speaker. She said that “each of us will travel our own path” and encouraged her classmates to meet head-on whatever challenges lie ahead. She asked them to do so “with your head held high and your heart wide open.
“It’s not enough to simply try to get by in life,” Reyna said. “That doesn’t move the world forward. You must try to excel in everything you do.”
She asked them to do their best to reach their full poten- tial.
“Just imagine the effect that would have,” Reyna said. “The future is truly in our hands, so let’s make the most of it.”
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