Graduation and Commencement Video

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Dr. Milosavljevic Graduation Speech
Class of 2020

I was only 14 years old when my family and I crossed the Atlantic ocean and moved to Chicago back in 1989 from the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. My childhood was filled with joy as I swam and fished in the beautiful Adriatic Sea over summer and enjoyed skiing and sledding with family and friends over winter.

My father and mother wanted to take a year off and pursue higher education and for myself and my sister and brother to learn English. We were going to return home after the year was over. But shortly after landing in Chicago I watched on tv as tanks rolled through the streets of my hometown. My school was being used to shelter the
refugees and the wounded. Our family home in Croatia was bombed and looted. My world came crashing down in an instant much like yours did when our school closed on March 13.

Everything I had known, everything that was secure and familiar had changed in a blink of an eye. I had lost my friends, family and my home. For a moment I felt hopeless and helpless. But then, my father who is a paragon of courage, optimism and resilience stepped up to the stage and showed me how to move forward and succeed in life despite the obstacles.

I wish to share with you what my father taught me in hopes that it will help you deal with the situation you find yourself in today and show you that you can find success, meaning and happiness despite the obstacles set before you.

#1. Happiness: It doesn’t just happen. You must intentionally engage in behaviors that promote the experience of joy, commitment, positive wellbeing and the sense that your life is good and worthwhile. For me that means playing basketball or soccer or tennis, playing my trumpet or guitar, swimming, playing hide and seek with my kids, going hiking to experience nature, reading or sneaking out to go rock climbing so my wife does not find out cos I would be in a lot of trouble if she did. What activities give you joy? Be intentional about doing things that make you happy.

#2. Focus on developing a growth mind-set which is the belief that you can use your God given qualities and talents to learn or master any new skill or science if you put the time and effort in to it, and that includes fractions by the way. It is this mindset that propelled me to become a Chemistry Teacher and then Principal and to finish my Ph.D this year. What do you want to accomplish? Whatever it is, you have it in you to do it, but first you must believe and then you must get to work! Your step one is to sign up for college classes in the fall or sign up with a branch of the military or get going with starting that business you always wanted to start. Don’t delay and don’t procrastinate. Yes you can and yes you will!

#3. Nurture positive relationships with others. During the difficult years of learning a new
language and finding work in a foreign country my family and I learned to rely on each other but also created new supporting friendships. These friendships created a support system for us that helped us make it through some very difficult times. So celebrate with your friends, meet often even if its over facetime or zoom or google hang out but definitely hang out and enjoy your time together. Some of you have been together since fifth grade (our legacy students) and you are a family now so stay together and love one another. However, you also must be open and make space for new friendships and new relationships. Seek friendships that will be positive, seek people who can teach you something good and help you be your better self.

Class of 2020, you know how important it is to never stop learning so allow me to conclude with two amazing facts. First of all your class of 2020 is the largest Senior Class in the history of CMI with 116 Seniors Graduating! You are already making your mark on history. Second, today is June 5th the day of your graduation. On June 5th 1752 Benjamin Franklin flew a kite for the first time to demonstrate that lightning was a form of electricity. Today on June 5th we are setting you free to demonstrate that you the Class of 2020 will electrify the whole world with your Happiness, Growth- Mindset and Power of your Positive Relationships.

Class of 2020, I charge you one last time with these words I shared with you during our morning formations: Never forget that We love you, You are Safe now go and do something Great! Go Rough Riders!

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Welcome to the TWO-THOUSAND AND TWENTY HERITAGE HIGH SCHOOL Graduation Ceremony. My name is Erika Tejeda and I am honored to be the principal of Heritage High School.

Seniors, I would like to begin by applauding your hard work, tenacity, and resilience, not only through our current situation but through your educational journey. Today we celebrate you, we celebrate your strength, and we celebrate your accomplishments class of 2020. The last 12 years of schooling have only touched the surface of your true potential and in a few short months, the next chapter of your life begins.

When you turn the first page of your new chapter it will be blank. Remember that you are the author of your own destiny, of what will be written, and of the story that will be told. You need to know that you will encounter difficult times, obstacles, and challenges but you are stronger than any of those. You can and will accomplish everything and anything that you set out to do.

Remember that you are worthy, you are loved, you, are love and you are LEGACY, #WeAreHeritage and this will always be your home.
Congratulations Class of 2020.

Order of Events

Welcome
Jadyn McRitchie

Pledge of Allegiance/National Anthem
Jadyn McRitchie

Introductions/Speech
Erika Tejeda

Board Member Speech
Dr. Freeman

Mayor Speech
Bill Zimmerman

Superintendent Speech
Grant Bennett

Salutatorian Speech
Karen Macias

Valedictorian Speech
Oahn Nguyen

Charge
Cheri Adame

Acceptance of the Charge
Perla Ceja

Presentation of the Class of 2020
Erika Tejeda

Acceptance of the Class of 2020
Grant Bennett

Awarding of Diplomas
Cheri Adame & Melina Gonzalez

Tassel Change
Perla Ceja

Closing
Erika Tejeda

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Congratulations to Nuview Bridge Early College High School Class of 2020!!!

Oh 2020…. Can we please just get a do over? Seniors, you may look back at these last few months of your senior year and think about how much you missed out on. But instead, I want to focus on what you didn’t miss out on this year.

How about the obvious?
This is the first class and possibly the last class that will probably ever have a virtual graduation.

The first class and possibly the last class to receive custom senior banners and had the community come together to deliver it to you.
The first class and possibly the last class to have a panoramic banner displaced high and proud in front of our school.

And then there’s the obvious: this is the first Bridge graduating class in the middle of a pandemic.

Seniors, of all of my years in education, this is the first time I have had the reward of having the entire communities come together to rally for a graduating class.

Class of 2020, you created many firsts for all of us.

This year we have 140 students in the class of 2020. Twenty seniors are earning at least one Associates degree and 33 have completed their IGETC. We have 126 seniors going straight to college, 46 of those CSUs, 17 UCs, 8 private colleges, 7 out of state, and 47 community colleges. Of those, we have seniors going as far as Arizona, Pennsylvania and Texas. Collectively, our class of 2020 completed 5,373 college units since Fall of 2016. Then we have our 6 seniors joining the armed forces, 5 going into the workforce and 4 into trade school. In addition, our seniors completed over 28,000 community service hours.

And what about sports? 70 of you participated in a sport this year and 101 of you participated in at least one sport in the last four years. 9 of you were tri sport athletes, one of you played 5 sports and 10 plan on pursuing college athletics. Then 9 of you were awarded First Team in sports and 6 in the Second team.

Seniors, today is about celebrating you. Look how much you accomplished wearing pajamas and unbrushed hair. Come Fall, you will all move on to do your next step of life and I know the rest of us are grateful, because we need you. We need our Kinesiologists, Nurses, Engineers, our firefighters, psychologists and Armed Forces.

I wish times were different for you. I wish I could give you a traditional graduation and give your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles a chance to see your procession with Pomp and CIrcumstance. But maybe there is something more important than that. Something that says so much more about the class of 2020. You have been tested and you didn’t give up. You kept going and now you are a high school graduate.

Go on and let your family know - you are ready for what lies ahead in this very different world. Because you are the amazing class of 2020 and you are ready.

Congratulations Class of 2020!
Jasper Lucas - Principal
Nuview Bridge Early college High School

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The mission of the Perris Union High School District is to provide quality educational programs and meaningful opportunities which encompass the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical aspects of all students within the district and which will enable them to become productive members of society.
Perris Lake High School
Perris Community Adult School
Scholar+ Online Academy

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Welcome to the virtual commencement ceremony for the graduating class of 2020.

I would like to introduce to you and congratulate the 132nd class of Perris High School graduates. Our history, as the original school of Perris, goes back to 1888.

I am humbled and honored to be your Principal and to share the duties of awarding you your high school diploma today on June 3rd, 2020. You have been working hard for the last twelve years of your life and you have earned the right to have this moment as you close your high school chapter of your life and embark on the magnificent journey of life and adulthood.
This is not how the school year was supposed to end but you adjusted and made things happen. You have shown your spirit of resiliency and not giving up and we are here to honor you today.
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I have had many opportunities to speak with some of you throughout this year. There are some of you who are ready to embark on this challenge by going to a four-year university, some of you will be defending our country and some will be joining the workforce. Most of us realize and understand that transitioning away from high school to the real world comes with a sense of relief, some nervousness and a little anxiety.
As you start your own adult journey, one of the first things you need to do is appreciate the people and opportunities that have brought you to this point in life and thank them for everything they have done for you. What your life has been the last four years has finally wrapped up and now you have the opportunity to create your own map. You have the freedom now to decide what kind of adult life you want to lead and shape your life to reach your own dream. If you don’t know what it is at this current time, do not worry, you still have time and you will figure it out but as you are figuring it out take the following advice into account:
#1: Don’t be absent from your life and take initiative to get in the game: Regardless of where you are going next, you no longer have to depend on your parents to advocate for you or to take care of you. The endless reminders of when to turn in assignments and what to do inside the school will no longer be there. Take the time to understand that you are the lead role in this game of life and break away from the things that are holding you back. It is time for you to create your own reality. Decide who you want to become and work toward your goal.
Some of you have already learned these lessons and shared with me your experiences. Like the young woman who left another state and came to live in Perris a couple of years back to leave behind some unnecessary stressors and immersed herself in school not just by focusing on her work but become a leader in school. She persevered and made the best of her situation because she wanted her mother and brother to be proud of her while at the same time develop great friendships and make the most of her new home at Perris High School.
#2: Spend more time listening: In these tumultuous times and as you are experiencing life, take the time to get to know others, especially those who are different from you. Put yourself in situations that will help you grow and understand that your own experience is not the only experience. Civility has taken a back seat in recent years but it is essential to listen without judgment or prejudice in order to function in life. Regardless of where you are going next, you will be dealing with people. The more you listen the easier that life will become.
I am reminded of many of you who have had the privilege of being in ASB and are currently Seniors who speak on behalf of your classmates and advocate on their behalf to be heard and included. The leadership that you all have exemplified during your senior year and your ability to listen not only to your peers but also to communicate with adults on campus has truly lead to some great collaboration between adults and students.
#3: Educate yourself and learn to fail: Whichever way your path is taking you, there is always a path toward education. Sometimes it does not come in the form of books or schooling but it is essential for you to understand the rules of life and take the learning lessons that life will undoubtedly teach you. Many times it will come at a time when your character or your values will be tested. At other times it will come at when you fail at a task or you just simply fail. You have to remember that victory will always be ten times better because you learned from your mistakes and failing is part of life.
Be the best at whatever you choose to pursue and learn from your experiences especially your failures. Continue to dig deep and don’t be afraid of making your own path and rely on positive people who are going to get you to where you need to be. Remember that you take a part of Perris wherever you go and that “You are Perris High School”.
~ Juan Santos, Principal of Perris High School