CHICO — It’s the high school class that’s seen it all and lived to tell the tale.
These seniors spent their freshman year almost entirely in the virtual world. Despite any odds, 395 Vikings in the class of 2024 at Pleasant Valley High School walked the “in-real-life” stage Friday night at Asgard Yard to receive their diplomas.
“You know when our parents would tell us they would walk through freezing tundras and scorching deserts to get to school?” Elaina Truong said in a speech. “Yeah. Well, we wore masks for so long, we could not recognize each other with out them.”
Her classmates are well aware of the hurdles they’ve overcome and — in addition to thanking family and teachers — expressed pride in themselves for their achievements in school, including Krisbel Delgado.
“It sounds selfish, but honestly, I thank me,” Delgado said in an interview before the ceremony. “Obviously everyone else got us there, but it was my work and my effort.”
Delgado said she initially wanted to get out of school quickly and considered graduating early because of her poor freshman experience during the pandemic — which would have meant leaving the opportunity of prom and Senior Sunrise. But she is glad she didn’t.
“I really wanted to finish a year early, which meant I wouldn’t get to do all of my senior things. But after my freshman year, which was a little rough, I was like, ‘No, I need to slow down; do your thing,’” Delgado added.
Jasmine Duenas said she was also glad to experience her senior activities because, when she was a freshman, it was not clear whether she’d be able to.
“At the time we started online, everything was so confusing. I was like I had no idea what was going to happen. But seeing all the graduates beforehand, I was like, ‘I really hope I get my senior year: I want to do all the fun stuff,’” Duenas said.
Viking Collin Finney said he struggled a lot with procrastination and time management, but got through it and will be heading to Butte College.
“I’m grateful I was able to get it all done in time, but also I feel like it was deserved,” Finney said. “I earned it. I did it mom.”
Ceremony
During the ceremony families filled bleachers to the brim as the senior class addressed their audience in speeches and performances; and they heard seniors’ reflections on their high school experience.
Student Body President Sarah Kindopp in her speech “Viking Family” spoke about being freshman family together, and finding new family after. Senior Class President Tatum Vittitoe spoke about what makes someone who they are; how their character has developed and how they will continue to develop.
“I get so close to so many of these kids; it’s a pretty intimate campus, you see a lot of them daily,” said Principal Damon Whittaker. “I’m one of the first people that talk to them when they come in as freshman, so it’s pretty amazing to watch the growth — to see these kids transition from completely shellshocked freshman to full grown adults ready to move on and conquer the world.”
Truong, in her poignant speech, “Just Keep Swimming,” told of her class’ experience at Pleasant Valley: that it has been unlike any other — that both path and future generations can not compare.
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“It is said that our class had experienced over a decades worth of events in a span of less than four years; that 2020 alone will have its own chapter in our history textbooks.” Truong said. “Without swimming lessons, we were thrown to a deep end of a pool as we entered a worldwide pandemic. …
“I once introduced myself to someone I sat next to for an entire semester because I could not recognize them without a mask. But I suppose, that’s what high school has been for us,” Truong said, “Creating adaptations and improvisations in times of uncertainty. To just keep swimming unknowing of the future ahead of us.
“Throughout these past four years, we have learned to swim through adversity … we all share this one fundamental commonality — this fierce sense of pride in this daunting ocean. We are all proud to be vikings.
“So congratulations to our class, for not just experiencing a decades worth of events, but because you just kept swimming in the most unprecedented of unprecedented times.”
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