Desert Oasis High School seniors persevere

Jun. 14—OTHELLO — Valedictorian Michelle Torres summed it up after the Desert Oasis High School class of 2023 had received their diplomas.

"Start of a new day, you know?" she said.

The 29 seniors officially finished school, five of them through a SkillSource program, in a ceremony June 5. In her valedictory speech, Torres said she knew it hadn't been easy for her classmates. But they had done it nonetheless.

"As for those who have cut us down, made us feel less of ourselves, and told us we weren't getting far, look at us now. We are graduating, and this is just the beginning," she said.

Osvaldo Silva said that the diploma was a milestone.

"Honestly, it means a lot," he said.

His mom supported him all the way, he said, and he wanted to give her something for that support.

"I did it for my mom," he said.

Edgar Rosete said it was the necessary prerequisite to what's next.

"It means a step forward, to life and to things to come," he said.

Torres said she found her place at DOHS and she wouldn't have wanted to go anywhere else.

"While others may think that I graduated from the last option school, I would say to them that it was the best school I could've gone to. I was where I was respected, cared for, happy and loved," she said.

She credited the staff.

"The staff creates this unique, family-like environment for us. They put in 110% to see us succeed," Torres said.

Guest speaker Jesse Campos, the district's behavioral specialist, told the graduates they had reason to be proud of the effort they'd put in,

"The times that you struggled — it was hard, right? I want you to look at yourself now," he said.

The class of 2023 persevered, and they should remember those lessons when they move on, Campos said.

"You can't forget where you came from," he said.

A special scholarship was awarded during the ceremony in memory of Benny Medina, an Adams County Juvenile Court probation officer who died in September 2022.

Edgar Vega of ACJC said the court, Medina's family and friends wanted to provide a scholarship for a student interested in helping others.

"Just like Benny did," Vega said.

Jose Barragan was the recipient.

Torres expressed her gratitude to her classmates and said graduation was an end, but also the start of something new.

"I will remember each and every one of you," she said. "I am beyond proud of who you have become. I would not want to walk across the finish line with any other people or school.

"Here goes the first big step into a new chapter. I can't wait to see what life has in store for you guys," she said. "Congratulations, class of 2023. We made it."

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.