2012 AHS seniors ‘got there’

Creig P. Sherburne/Atascadero News • Freshly graduated — and freshly former — Atascadero High School seniors celebrate a huge milestone, flinging mortarboard caps into the air.

ATASCADERO — Atascadero High School’s class of 2012 got there. It graduated on Wednesday, and is on to the next thing.

Or maybe not.

“Everyone thinks ‘once we get there, we made it,’” Principal E.J. Rossi said while addressing the crowd of students and families. “As you go through life, don’t allow yourself to get distracted by what’s ‘there;’ choose to make the ‘now’ the best it can be. In all the lines that await you, the lines of college, the lines of jobs and careers, the lines of relationships, don’t look for what is out ‘there’ and the things that are yet to come, remember what matters is the ‘now,’ and enjoy it.”

Evidence of a graduating class in agreement with its principal abounded at the late afternoon ceremony. With no possibility of detention the following day, no less than 15 beach balls were bopped around during the ceremony. At least one high school official joined in, booting a ball while Rossi introduced valedictorian Kelly Boicourt. At least one reporter was hit square in the face with a beach ball while taking photos. No less than five students had photocopies of Rossi’s face as masks. A mile of silly string flew through the air at the slightest provocation, and often just because silly string is fun.

Three hundred and forty five students graduated with 345 smiles with so many friends and families in attendance that by the time the ceremony started, it was standing room only on the football field. Outside the school, cars were parked densely for half a mile around the school.

If everybody took Rossi’s advice, then the traffic jam on Atascadero Mall was an opportunity to enjoy being in close quarters with freshly sunburned family and friends while waiting at the stop signs.

Commencement speaker Kennedy Fields took great advantage of her opportunity to address her class. Her speech was inclusive and bittersweet, but with a big healthy twist of optimism.

“Now you’re faced with the looming climb, not knowing what it will bring,” Fields said. “And although our rides couldn’t have been more different, we share something that is essential to being human: Fear. The blood-pumping, heart racing, breath-catching fear that is buried in all of us. And it’s that common fear that has the power to unite us. The band geeks and choir kids, the jocks and stoners, the drama nerds and math whizzes. So at this moment, let’s overcome the stereotypical judgments that have separated us for four long years and face our fears head-on together. Because what we all have trouble admitting to one another, to ourselves, is how similar we really are. … We found our niches in the quad or creek and whether we were prom queens or robotic champs, we made friends we’ll miss and memories that we will never forget.”

The senior choir’s performance of the Star Spangled Banner was both complex and moving. And four graduating seniors, Shane Santiago, Rainey Forzetting, Jayde Forzetting and Kias Porter, performed “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield. The song took a few moments to get off the ground, but the last half had graduates on their feet, singing and clapping along.

And then, suddenly, Superintendent Deborah Bowers gave permission to graduate all the seniors. All that was left was to have each student’s name announced, hand shaken and diploma imparted. The air was briefly thick with hats, and then it was all over. Or maybe not.

“I was once told that every good song ends,” Fields said during her speech. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the music. Our roller coaster may come to an end, but does that mean we don’t enjoy the ride? Because who knows, some of us will stay in touch. What else is Facebook for? And I don’t know about you, but who could ever forget Andrew Bergdorf?”