A new chapter

Jose Paul Corona

Balloons floated in the air above the bleachers, the aroma of flowers

permeated the air and there were enough stuffed dolls to open a small toy

store.

The bleachers were completely filled. Those that didn’t want to make

their way through the thick crowd that was already seated stood beside

the bleachers, next to the chain-link fence facing the field and anywhere

else they could to catch a glimpse of their graduate at the Ocean View

High School graduation ceremony.

Family members clapped, yelled and blew horns when the names of their

graduates were called. The graduates strolled confidently down the field

to accept their diplomas and move onto the next chapter of their lives.

Parents and other family members were beside themselves with joy as

they watched the ceremonies.

Sure, they had to fight for a parking space and they probably had to

make a longer walk than they thought they would, but once the ceremony

started, none of that mattered.

Antonio and Ofelia Negrete stood besides the bleachers and waited

anxiously for their daughter’s name to be called. Negrete is the youngest

of three children and last to graduate.

Just like her older sisters, Negrete will pursue a career in medicine.

She’ll attend Golden West College and pursue a career in nursing. It’s

something she’s wanted to do since she was in the third grade.

Like most graduating seniors Negrete was on edge as the graduation

approached, but once the ceremony was underway her emotional state

changed.

“I thought I was going to be nervous, but I was calm,” she said.

After the graduation was over she found herself wondering what would

happen next.

Her fellow graduate, Naomi Irvine, will also be attending Golden West

College, but she’ll be pursuing a much different career.

Besides playing volleyball, Irvine will study photojournalism.

She wants to travel the world and help tell stories of what is

happening in foreign countries.

As she looked back on her high school experience she realized that it

wasn’t at all like she expected it to be.

“It went by fast,” Irvine said.

* JOSE PAUL CORONA covers City Hall and education. He can be reached

at (714) 965-7173 or by e-mail at o7 jose.corona@latimes.com.f7