Arroyo Grande, Morro Bay, Atascadero and Templeton high schools salute the Class of 2023
It was quite a joyous Thursday around San Luis Obispo County as eight local high schools celebrated their graduating classes of 2023.
More than 1,000 students received their diplomas on what was the county’s single biggest day of high school commencement festivities this year.
Arroyo Grande, Morro Bay, Atascadero and Templeton high schools each held graduation ceremonies in their respective stadiums.
Alternative high schools Pacific Beach in San Luis Obispo, Paloma Creek and ACE Academy in Atascadero, and Liberty and Independence in Paso Robles also celebrated their graduating seniors on Thursday in separate ceremonies.
Plus, Eagle Canyon High School in Templeton, Pacific View Academy in Arroyo Grande and Lopez Continuation High School in Arroyo Grande held ceremonies on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
“This group of seniors has experienced a unique high school education and an extraordinary amount of change,” Templeton High School Principal Jessica Lloyd said at the school’s ceremony. “This is the class of students who had to immediately pivot in March of their freshman year as the world shut down. They spent the end of their freshman year and most of their sophomore years isolated, learning through screens and navigating an education that was foreign to us all.”
“The phrase, ‘I think you’re muted,’ will never be forgotten,” she added. “Graduates ... you inspire me to work hard, stay positive and take risks, because that is what I have observed from you this year.”
Arroyo Grande High School
Arroyo Grande High School had a total of 415 grads walk across the stage in a ceremony held at the school’s Doug Hitchen Stadium on Thursday evening.
Nine students earned the top spot of valedictorian: Ezekial Brown, Michaela Evans, John Fairweather, Carlos Leiva, Ella Parish, Sandra Peterson, Kian Rafian, Kaylee Ullstrom and Joshua Winn.
About 128 of the Arroyo Grande grads plan to go to a four-year university in the fall. Another 142 plan to attend Cuesta College while 39 are headed to Allan Hancock College.
Two of the grads plan to attend trade school, 27 will go straight into the workforce and 55 plan to take time off after their senior year.
Four are enlisting in the U.S. Navy, another five in the Marines and one in the Air Force.
The Lucia Mar school district said 144 Arroyo Grande High School students earned a total of more than $290,000 in scholarships.
Arroyo Grande’s Pacific View Academy, also in Lucia Mar, celebrated its graduating class of seniors on Tuesday.
In total, the school had 40 grads, with the valedictorian being Samantha Rae Patchin.
And Lopez Continuation School in Arroyo Grande held its graduation ceremony on Wednesday for 92 students.
Cindy Graciano was Lopez’s valedictorian, while Luis Delgado was salutatorian.
Ten of the Lopez grads plan to attend Cuesta College, while another 17 plan to attend Hancock College. One grad has enlisted in the U.S. Marines.
A total of $17,000 in scholarships was awarded to 17 Lopez students.
Morro Bay High School
At Morro Bay High School, 180 grads were honored Thursday evening in a ceremony at the school’s football field.
“Together we can build a future that embodies compassion, understanding and unity,” San Luis Coastal Unified School District Superintendent Eric Prater said during commencement. “Our country is counting on you — I know you can do this.”
Valedictorian Madeleine Alvarez spoke during the ceremony, reminding her fellow graduates that the community of Morro Bay would always be with them as they move on to their next phase in life.
“We’re your community,” Alvarez said “No matter how far from Morro Bay you go, no matter how many new communities you become a part of, no matter how many years pass from this moment, remember this here is a village of people who are rooting for you and your success.”
Alvarez is bound for UC San Diego, while salutatorian Rae Ruane is headed to Boston University, according to Principal Scott Schalde.
Nearly a third of Morro Bay’s graduating class had a 4.0 grade-point average or better, Schalde said. And 76% of the seniors held a job during high school, he added.
Morro Bay’s class of 2023 included several international exchange students “that have truly enriched our lives this year,” Schalde told The Tribune. Those students include two from Belgium, two from Italy, and one each from Norway, Vietnam, Brazil and Germany.
Of the graduating class, 96 will continue their education at a community college or trade school, including the United Aviation Academy, Western Welding Academy, Santa Barbara City College, Saddleback College, Hancock College and Cuesta College.
Another 59 students decided to enroll at a four-year university.
Six of the graduating seniors plan to play sports at the collegiate level, and one student has enlisted in the U.S. Army.
Another San Luis Coastal school, Pacific Beach High School, celebrated 49 graduates in a ceremony earlier on Thursday.
Of those, 35 are expected to attend Cuesta College in the fall, while one is enlisting in the U.S. Army, according to principal Chris Dowler.
About 20 of the school’s grads earned a combined $30,000 in scholarships, Dowler said.
Atascadero High School
At the War Memorial Stadium on Atascadero High School’s campus Thursday evening, 285 students graduated adorned in their signature orange-and-gray robes.
The school’s valedictorian was Shawky Bassil, who will attend the University of Southern California. Salutatorian was Isabella Brylewski, who will attend UCLA.
A total of $135,000 in local scholarships was awarded to 67 of Atascadero’s seniors, according to Vice Principal Jeff Spiller.
Atascadero Unified School District’s alternative education schools, Paloma Creek High School and ACE Academy, celebrated their grads in a ceremony Thursday afternoon at the Atascadero Recreation Center.
Paloma Creek celebrated about 40 grads, while ACE Academy honored another 43, according to alternative education Principal Libby Madding.
Milan Richman, who plans to attend Cuesta College in the fall, was ACE Academy’s valedictorian, Libby told The Tribune.
Templeton High School
At Templeton High School’s stadium, a total of 166 students were celebrated in a graduation ceremony Thursday evening.
The high school’s co-valedictorians were Heer Shinglot and Karen Clark — who will both attend UCLA in the fall — and co-salutatorians Olivia Voos, who will attend UCLA, and Elyse Black, who will attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
One Templeton High School graduate will enlist in the U.S. Marines, while another will enlist in the U.S. Space Force.
A total of $243,720 in scholarship money was received by 46 students. Notably, Ella Thompson received the Shelby Sudbrink Memorial Scholarship.
Megan Rubin received the principal’s award, while Cole Eisenbrand was named Eagle of the Year.
“Although our time in high school seems to have come and gone in the blink of an eye, none of us will forget the very best parts of our time here and the memories we made together,” senior class president Brynn Bajema said
In a ceremony on Monday, Templeton’s alternative high schools, Eagle Canyon and Templeton Independent Study, held their graduating ceremonies at Templeton High School’s gym.
A total of six Eagle Canyon grads were honored, while 24 independent study grads got their diplomas in the joint ceremony.
Two of the independent study students plan to attend four-year universities, while one plans to attend Santa Barbara City College and 14 plan to attend Cuesta College in the fall.
Liberty and Independence high schools
In Paso Robles, Liberty and Independence continuation high schools celebrated a combined 125 grads in a ceremony Thursday evening at War Memorial Stadium.
Liberty’s valedictorian was America Osuna, while Independence’s valedictorian was Helena Higuera. Both plan to attend Cuesta College in the fall.
One student from the alternative high schools enlisted in the U.S. Navy and two in the U.S. Marines.
A total of $7,500 in local scholarships was awarded to 12 students at the two schools.
