Early College High’s Class of ’22 celebrates triumph over a course interrupted
Orange Coast College’s Robert Moore Theater was a scene of celebration Thursday, as Early College High School’s Class of 2022 celebrated a milestone moment years in the making.
Family members and friends cheered on 44 graduating seniors in a commencement ceremony that marked not only students’ accomplishments, but a welcome return to some pre-pandemic norms.
While students from ECHS’s Class of 2020 celebrated virtually with prerecorded clips and speeches, and last year’s seniors donned masks and were limited to bringing just four guests to an outdoor event, Thursday’s ceremony at OCC was live and in-person.
Student speaker Matthew Ruiz described having a typical high school experience interrupted by the challenges of online and hybrid learning and encouraged fellow graduates not to let setbacks thwart their future dreams. Gianna Claveran, who transferred to ECHS amid the pandemic her junior year, also urged classmates to push beyond their fears.
“High school is known, the world isn’t. It’s up to us to discover what awaits us beyond this institution,” she said. “To move forward, you have to move.”
The crowd enjoyed an acoustic performance of John Mayer’s “Bigger Than My Body” from Jackson Penney before watching a video montage of senior group photos taken throughout the year.
Early College’s tradition of allowing students to take high school classes concurrently with college-level offerings at Coastline College means many graduates enter their post-secondary careers with credits already under their belts.
Principal Dave Martinez noted this year’s class set a record with the highest number of graduating seniors having earned enough college credits to complete an associate’s degree or fulfill the first two years of general education requirements at any University of California campus.
Martinez praised members of the Class of 2022 for thriving academically and personally, despite having their time at Early College impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
“These past four years have been a challenge to one’s mindset, soul and hope at varying levels. But you may know what I’m going to tell you one last time — keep pressing on,” Martinez said. “Believe in yourself that you are capable of being a person of impact in this world. Go out there and blaze new trails of purpose.”
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