Graduation day arrives for class of 2006

The big day is here for high school seniors in Huntington Beach, and no doubt they’ll be raring to land on their own two feet in the real world.

“They will be strong leaders in the community and nationwide,” Marina High School Principal Steve Roderick said of his graduating class of 2006.

Roderick remembers starting out four years ago along with a batch of “squirrelly” freshmen.

“This is kind of a special class for me because I have seen them grow, mature and become young adults,” he said.

About 10 seniors at Marina High School will graduate with National Society Honors, and about 40 received California Scholarship Federation Seal bearer awards.

Three high school graduation ceremonies will take place today, with hundreds of kids throwing their caps and hopes out there.

About 500 senior Oilers will graduate from Huntington Beach High School in the high school stadium at 4 p.m. today.

About 600 students will graduate from Marina High in the Marina High School Bowl at 4 p.m. today. The graduation ceremony at Edison High School will start at 5 p.m. at the Edison High School Bowl today.

About 315 students graduated from Ocean View High School in their Seahawk colors of cardinal red and gold on Wednesday in the Westminster High School Stadium. This year, Ocean View had two class valedictorians: Chris Hickerson and Rusty Sklan.

About 30 Ocean View students have won the California Scholarship Federation Sealbearer awards, and 12 students have won the Presidential Award for Educational Excellence.

“Even in the short time I’ve known them, you grow close to these kids,” said Erika Enz, college career specialist at Ocean View High School.

Connie Chai is the class valedictorian for Marina High’s graduating class with a GPA of 4.78. She has been actively involved in the community and was a member of the golf team.

Although she’ll miss her friends at Marina High, “it’ll be nice to meet new people for the next four years,” Chai said.

She’s looking forward to the extra freedom of being away from home while she studies biology at Duke University.

“I just want to relax after four years of hard work and another four years ahead of me,” said Chai, who hopes to be a doctor.

Edison High School Principal D’liese Melendrez was especially proud of this year’s class.

“This is my first year here, but I hear from the staff and teachers that this is the strongest class we have had,” she said.

About 97% of Edison’s 455 graduating students enrolled in community colleges and universities. More than $4.3 million in awards and scholarships have been offered to Edison High seniors.

“It’s a well-rounded and intelligent group of kids. It’s just really an awesome class,” Melendrez said.

About 92% of Huntington Beach High seniors will be attending college in two-year and four-year programs.

Some of the sample advice from seniors to freshmen that Enz has compiled: “Keep on track from the first day, make sure all your ducks are in a row and don’t slack off.”

And it’ll be the last hurrah in a very important chapter as the seniors toss the tassels from right to left.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

What advice do you have for this month’s graduates? Call our Readers Hotline at (714) 966-4691 or send e-mail to hbindependent@latimes.com. Please spell your name and include your hometown and phone number for verification purposes.hbi.15-graduation-CPhotoInfoGP1RVIPM20060615j0v80pncPHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MARK DUSTIN(LA)Huntington Beach High School student Kathy Nguyen, left, 18, of Huntington Beach, helps Jennifer Dinh, right, 18, of Huntington Beach, put on her gown as they try on their graduation caps and gowns in front of Huntington Beach High School Wednesday morning.