'We didn't think it would come this soon'
Jun. 13—QUINCY — As they waited to walk into the Quincy High School stadium Saturday, QHS class of 2022 graduates Sergio Cordova and Rafael Ruiz were asked how it felt to get to this day.
"It's a relief," Cordova said.
"A big relief," Ruiz said.
There was more to graduation than just relief, however.
"It's exciting," Ruiz said.
Ruiz said he was a little surprised by how quickly the time had passed, — in some ways it all seemed like a blur. One day he was hanging out with his friends, trying to figure out what to do about that English assignment. Then the next day, or so it seemed, graduation was four weeks away — then it was three weeks, then two weeks, then graduation was here.
"We didn't think it would come this soon," Ruiz said. "I can't process it."
Gloria Ramirez-Hernandez, one of the class's co-valedictorians, agreed with Ruiz that it all seemed to go by so fast. She expressed gratitude to all the people, her parents and family, QHS teachers and coaches, who had supported the class and helped them to succeed.
Six students finished their QHS careers with a 4.0-grade point average and were named valedictorians. Of those, five gave speeches during the ceremony.
"Wow. We're here," said Tania Gudino.
Diego Pacheco said the seniors had faced some unique and challenging times. They were sophomores when the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered schools for a while and scrambled schedules when kids were allowed to return.
"We didn't have it easy. Not one bit," he said.
But he learned how to determine what was meaningful to him, he said.
Aiden Heikes — who made more than 1,000 baskets during his high school basketball career — called it an extremely unusual experience, but the class of 2022 got there in the end, he said.
"We did it. We made it. We're done," he said.
After the new graduates had walked out of the stadium and she was looking for her family and friends on the softball field, Emily Townsend had to search for a word to describe the experience after the wild and crazy events of the last two years.
"Anticlimactic," she said.
Alexander Cervantes also felt a little disconcerted.
"It feels surreal," he said after graduation. "It feels really good to be here, and I'm just happy to get on with my life."
Heikes told his classmates they should look around them, and remember what those people — their family and friends, teachers, coaches, classmates and the people around Quincy — contributed to their success. That knowledge might be as valuable, or more valuable, than the diploma, he said.
Emily Wurl said school had been a time of slowly expanding horizons and a time to test limits. After graduation all the school rules would be no more, she said.
"We are our own people," she said.
She advised her classmates to keep testing limits, at least a little and said they should not let their circumstances limit their options.
"Whatever you are choosing, let it be your own choice," Wurl said.
Gudino echoed Wurl's support for classmates.
"I wish you all prosperity, and it was a pleasure knowing you," Gudino said.
Reid Thomsen was the sixth co-valedictorian. Melissa Avalos-Ramirez was the class salutatorian.
During the entry the seniors carried in the pictures of two classmates who passed away during the year, Juan Carlos Diaz-Guerreo Jr. and Nathan Ramirez, and left the pictures sitting on two chairs among the graduate section. The seniors stood in tribute while honorary diplomas were awarded to the parents of both students, and the crowd joined in a moment of silence.
Cheryl Schweizer may be reached at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.
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