Focused on the future

Mary A. Castillo

As of today, 191 Laguna Beach High School students are now officially

high school graduates. Parents and loved ones filled the Irvine Bowl on

Wednesday night, carrying flowered leis, camcorders and programs. Behind

the curtain, Jeff Foster warmed up the band for his last graduation

before retirement.

Walking through the crowd, the most commonly heard question was,

“where are the graduates?”

But a group of nervous-looking juniors were more than happy to wait

for the senior class’ arrival as they stood by the hand-held arches

decorated with flowers late yesterday afternoon. According to tradition,

the juniors bear the arches for the graduates to walk under as they enter

the bowl.

“These girls were chosen because they represent the best in sports,

leadership and the arts all across the board,” said Julie Olsen, a parent

volunteer whose daughter Katie will graduate next year.

“I kinda freaked out when we were chosen to do this,” said Mahlia

Hines, 16.

Together with some of her fellow arch bearers -- Camerin

Barron-Sandman, Allie Phelps and Emily Ward -- Mahlia tried not to think

too much about her own graduation next year.

“We’re looking into colleges,” she said. “But we’re just hoping that

tonight we won’t fall or drop one of the arches on someone’s head.”

In the audience parents exchanged hugs, congratulating each other on

their children’s success. Jeff Rhoades waited with mixed emotions to

watch his youngest daughter, Jessica, receive her diploma.

“We worked so hard to get them here, and as parents that’s what we

want,” he said. “But they do go away after this and that’s the hard

part.”

Jessica’s attendance in the fall at the UC Santa Barbara will give

Rhoades a unique problem.

“I’ll have to figure out what to do with my time now that I won’t be

hosting sleepovers every other weekend.”

Nearby, Blanche Shulman glowed with pride and excitement in spite of

having traveled from London the day before.

“The only graduations I’ve been to were for my son and daughter,” she

said. “But my granddaughter’s is something really special.”

Her granddaughter, Danielle, will attend Penn. State University next

fall.

As the sky darkened and the hour approached for the graduates to

arrive, Principal Nancy Blade stood calm. Although proud that her

students were taking their first step into adulthood, she had an even

greater respect for them.

“They’re resilient,” she said. “I’m their third administrator and it

was difficult for them but they handled it with grace.”

Meanwhile outside the Festival of the Arts grounds, a strange sound

turned heads. Busses of screaming, cheering graduates drove down Laguna

Canyon Road. Parents rushed to the vehicles, handing out leis and

snapping pictures.

“I’m relieved it’s finally over,” said Irina Popenko as she lined up

with her fellow graduates.

But her diploma came with a price.

“I switched schools a lot and it was hard getting oriented. But I did

it.”

This moment allowed Amber Caserio a chance to look back and see how

much high school and the events of Sept. 11 changed her.

“I realized that the things that seemed so huge were real petty,” she

said. “It was a shock to me how much I took for granted.”

As she looks forward to attending Brigham Young University in the

fall, Amber promised herself to approach the new chapter in her life with

greater optimism.

“I take everything from life, learn from it and apply it to life,” she

said.

A ripple went through the line when it was time to march into the bowl

for the big moment. Whistles pierced eardrums and somehow the band’s

performance of “Ode to Joy” managed to be heard over roar of voices.

The band began “Pomp and Circumstance” as the graduates marched under

the flowered arches, which have been used since the 1930s. Parents who

weren’t snapping away pictures or recording the moment on video wiped at

misty eyes.

After everyone took their seats, senior class Presidents Dane Flueger

and Jessica Levin took the podium.

“We finally made it,” Jessica shouted. “This is our night!”

An inflated beach ball bounced over the graduates after Jennifer

Kucera sang the National Anthem. The ball was confiscated and put away so

that Jocelyn Blore could deliver her valedictorian address.

“I’m thankful to be here,” she said after reciting a fable about the

power of positive attitudes. “What is a shattered life to one is a

stubbed toe to another.”

She encouraged her fellow graduates to never lose hope and to make the

best of the rest of their lives.

After Mike McGuire made his remarks and Theresa Daem presented the

class to the Board of Trustees of the Laguna Beach Unified School

District, the graduates stood up to receive their diplomas.

As each student walked up to the dais, baby pictures were projected on

the stage screen.

Jose Albarron got visibly nervous as his turn approached.

“If I could talk to the younger kids, I’d tell them to not look back

on their mistakes but to focus on the future,” he said.