CVHS 2023 Graduates Express Hope and Change
A total of 667 graduating Castro Valley High School seniors marched into Trojan Stadium last Friday to receive their diplomas and celebrate their accomplishments.
The in-person and live-streamed event was highlighted by speaker after speaker calling on the graduates to follow their dreams. Parents, families, and friends in the stands were greeted with a diverse welcome in more than 15 languages.
This year’s graduating class received numerous awards and honors. The Class of 2023 saw four National Merit Finalists, six Herculean Awards (given to those who have achieved seven or more varsity letters in their four years), seven students receiving sports scholarships, and more than 200 students who achieved a grade point average of 4.0 or higher.
The path to this event was challenging, as this was the last class to experience the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic while in high school. The graduates now face hope, excitement, and change.
“New beginnings are never easy. They require us to step out of our comfort zones, face uncertainty, and embrace change. However, through these challenges, we grow, we learn, and we discover our true potential,” said ASB President Jaylene Cole.
The theme of change was accented by the Senior choir's acapella version of Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’.”
Inaugural Laureate Youth Poet of Alameda County, Zoe Dorado touched on the themes of hope and change with her poem, entitled “I asked OpenAI to write a poem about violence...” where she asks us to place actual accountability in place of hope.
“Hope should hold some type of weight. Hope is a discipline,” Dorado read. “Our hope holds our community gently, but also holds us accountable,” concluding with, “Hope creates a future where we can finally breathe out.”
Senior Amaya Jiao asked her classmates to follow their heads and their hearts and not choose one or the other and that the beauty of life is to change because stagnation is lethal.
“I wish for us to find what ignites us and follow it. Passion is not easy to come by, but when we do find it, there will be no lack of inspiration,” Jiao said.
Principal Christopher Fortenberry urged graduates to hold onto the lessons they have learned and the friendships they have made as he reminds them their education has equipped them with the knowledge to pursue their dreams.
“Remember that success is not the title you hold or the material possessions you have acquired but by the impact you have on others. Don’t just aspire to make a living; aspire to make a difference,” Fortenberry said.