Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Pima Class of 2024 celebrates by tossing their motorboards into the air.
By Jon Johnson
PIMA – As children chased colored pieces of confetti blowing across Edd Hubbard Field on a cool, May evening, the dichotomy of one group just starting their scholastic path while another crosses an important milestone wasn’t lost on those in attendance. However, as many parents and grandparents can attest, they seem more closely together than one might think. One minute the student is off on their first day of Kindergarten, and the next they are graduating high school with college credits and are going off into the world.
In the case of students in the Gila Valley, thanks to Pima, the Gila Institute for Technology (GIFT), and Eastern Arizona College (EA), students can be dual enrolled and take college courses while still in high school. Pima schools pay for up to 14 credits per semester for dual enrollment and students can take college classes through GIFT as well. Many students already received certificates of completion and are well on their way to obtaining associate degrees.
After an introduction by Emily Skiba, class memories were shared with Alexa Zavala recounting elementary school memories, while the tandem of Ambrosia Johnson and Kyler Strowd tackled the junior high and high school.
Continuing on the co-captain theme, co-salutatorians Lorena Quezada and Kodee Gibbons next took the stage.
Quezada told her fellow students not to be in a hurry and not to overlook the present for the sake of the future.
“Dream big, shoot for the stars, set goals, and charge forward,” Quezada said. “But what I’m also saying is ‘do not let the future allow you to overlook the present and to remind yourself that we can learn to wait.’ As you leave the field tonight, please take away one thing from this speech, enjoy where you are now; wait patiently and savor every moment . . . Our future will certainly arrive, but this exact moment, right now, is never going to happen again. Don’t be quick to wish these days away for something better. Live in the now and cherish the last waves from your friends; the last hugs with your family, and the last time being on this high school football field as a high school student.”
Quezada plans to attend EA to further her goal of becoming a nurse practitioner. She graduated high school with 71 college credits.
In between speeches, those in attendance were treated to a special musical number as Kirana Reed sang “Rise Up” by Andra Day.
Valedictorian Nayalie Clifford thanked her father for his support and for showing her that hard work pays off and then she thanked her mother in her mother’s native Spanish language. Clifford continued with her speech and offered advice to her fellow graduates/
“Today marks not only the accumulation of our academic endeavors but a celebration of our resilience, determination, and growth,” she said. “Despite the difference in our backgrounds, interests, and beliefs, we stand united today as we celebrate our achievements as graduates of Pima. As we turn the page of the bonus chapter of our lives, let us embrace the boundless possibilities that lie ahead of us with courage and conviction. Our futures are ours to shape, our destinies ours to define. Let us seize every opportunity that presents itself. Let us not let fear or hesitation hold us back from reaching our full potential.”
Clifford will be going to the Dominican Republic to teach English and then plans to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has already earned 41 college credits.
After graduation ceremonies on the football field, graduates, family, and friends were invited to the gymnasium for a slide show presentation.
