As we start this new school year with fresh goals in mind, we can take inspiration from our peers that came before us. Let’s look back at the graduating class of 2024 with an exclusive interview from former top-dog, Sebastian Marano.
As we start this new school year with fresh goals, we can take inspiration from our peers who came before us. Let’s look back at the graduating class 2024 with an exclusive interview from former top dog top dog Sebastian Marano.
What did you think of the senior year as a whole?
It was very stressful but also a lot of fun. I thought it was important for me to prioritize wrapping up my academics and making sure not to drop any slack with my other involvements on campus, but I also felt the whole year was a celebration of all the hard work I put in throughout the years. I had found my place at AHS, and senior year, to me, was a time to give back to the community and enjoy the time I had left at the school.
What was a favorite memory?
I had a lot of fun memories last year, many of them with the band, my friends, and the clubs. One of my favorites is Senior Ditch Day, where instead of going to the beach, my friends and I went to a Starbucks to finish as many AP Bio assignments as we could before Mrs. McQuitty left school for the day. It was pretty stressful, but it was a fun and productive little ditch day that we had to ourselves.
Up until graduation, what was your plan for after high school? Has anything changed since then?
My plan since junior year was to get into a good four-year university and pursue a degree in biological science to apply to medical school. Being involved with the community and helping others are essential to me, so I wanted to become a doctor or nurse. My plan is still the same, and I will major in biological science at UC Irvine. I’m keeping an open mind to the possibility my career path might change, but as of now, I’m determined to pursue a career in the medical field.
What did you think of your graduation?
It was a great day, not only for the graduates and their families but for the school and the community as well. I was excited about graduation, and being allowed to conduct the band and chosen as the commencement speaker made the ceremony especially memorable.
How did you feel about graduating?
Anxious but excited. Sad, but also happy. A lot of the work I put in during high school was to set me up for graduation and the future, and finally, getting to that transition point was pretty scary. I’m sad I have to leave many of my friends and mentors I have grown close to, but I’m grateful for all the lessons learned and memories made with them. They will be carried with me wherever I go, and I’m excited to navigate the future with the skills I’ve developed over the last few years.
Marano’s Speech:
Stolen from the Gods and gifted to man by Prometheus. Brought down to Earth by the brave and selfless crow. Conceived by some early human who banged funny stones together. Fire has long since been viewed as an ambiguous symbol, invoking destructive fear or warm comfort, but my favorite interpretation of fire is one of limitless potential and change-bringing light.
My friends, today our school reveals itself to be a dazzling beacon, and as I stand here, not only I am literally blinded by the sun, I am blinded by a field of shining futures: Each and every one of you holding a vibrant flame of passion. How you have nurtured that flame these past four years I may not know, but today we gather to celebrate our accomplishments and prepare to share our light with the world.
Four years ago, we began our high school careers under the darkness of the pandemic. Our peers and friends, reduced to no more than a profile picture. Some might remember the awkward silence when banished to break out rooms, and instead of running laps around the track in PE, we shut off our cameras and hoped Mrs. Risley believed we were actually doing pushups. Although hopes for our futures seemed as dim as our chromebook displays, we pressed on and persevered.
Eventually, the halls of AHS were filled once more. The aftershock of the pandemic still shadowed our lives, but our hopes were raised by our first glimpse of a normal high school scene. It was admittedly a crowded scene, with fenced-off walkways and dust filling the air as the allegedly haunted B Building met its end, but it was a scene bright with life and purpose.
Little did we know, wired fences were to become a common backdrop of our remaining years, but since our return to campus, we have kindled a culture that made excellence and achievement as common as the construction. We’ve seen thespic geniuses like Isaiah Rice and Liam McLain, bringing Cowboy Noir’s lead characters to life, which by the way, was a play written by our very own Karson Devaroux! We’ve seen outstanding athletes like Maggie Uceda, who led our swim team to CIF the past four years without a reliable pool. That’s like expecting our football team to win league without a home field! Speaking of, we all remember Mason Degnan leading our football team to a dramatic State Championship, won on a night so rainy you would think they would’ve had to call in the swim team.
From the band room, HQ of Mr. Conrad’s decorated Instrumental Program, to Mrs. Kamala’s Wellness Center, a safe place housing countless clubs, our campus glimmers brilliantly with the dedication of our students. Whether through art with Ms. Harback, dissecting cats with Mr. Wilkie, agriculture with Mr. Dadson or PE with Coach Davis, we’ve let our true selves shine through and made AHS even brighter than it was before.
Of course, we would not have made it this far without our teachers, our friends, and our family. For all of those in attendance, I would be willing to wager that you played some role in the journey that led these graduates to be baking under their caps and gowns before me today. I would like to take this moment to thank all of you for raising, supporting, guiding, and teaching the class of 2024. I would also like to express the gratitude that I, my class, and all of AHS has towards our Vice-Principals, Mrs. Williams, Mr. Shorba, and Mr. Spiller, who will be departing from AHS and pursuing new positions within the Atascadero Unified School District. They have worked tirelessly to ensure that AHS and its students truly are accountable, honorable, and safe.
Our journey has been challenging, much like climbing that Junior lot hill, or taking Mrs. McQuitty’s AP Bio class, but we have made it. And now it’s time to show the world just exactly what we are capable of. The world which we will inherit can, at times, be a dark one. Constantly changing, with age-old flaws and emerging imperfections. Despite this, I enjoin upon you to continue ever forward with purpose and compassion to illuminate a better tomorrow. When in doubt, just remember the wise words of PawCast host, Joe Dawson: “Stay classy, Atascadero,” and keep your flames bright, my friends.
We are the torch bearers of possibility, heralds of a brighter tomorrow. As similar beacons ignite across the world to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduating class, let us burn brilliantly to commemorate the present, and burn forth, blazing the path to a radiant future.
