More than 700 Alameda Unified School District students in the Class of 2024 graduated last week in ceremonies that included whoops of joy, tears, music, jokes, awards, flowers, balloons and heartfelt advice from adult and student speakers.
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Alameda High School graduated 423 students; 208 students graduated from Encinal High; 29 from the Alameda Science and Technology Institute (ASTI); 37 from Island High; and 20 from Alameda Adult School. Due to the pandemic, this class of students attended their first semester of classes and emerged with abilities to persevere and connect through hard times.
“In my opinion, the magic ingredient each of you possesses is grit,” teacher Amy Haines said in her comments at Island High’s graduation.
The graduates are moving on now to the University of California and California State University systems, community colleges, public universities and private colleges in other states, the military and jobs in the private sector. This year two-thirds of graduates from ASTI, an early college high school, have also earned associate of arts degrees from the Peralta Community College system. Nearly two dozen students received scholarships and awards from local community members and organizations, as follows:
Lou Allen Scholarship ($500): Dolores (Lola) Whalen (Encinal High School [EHS]);
Susan Scott Scholarship ($1,000): Jada Solis (EHS);
Florinda Bartalini Scholarship ($1,000): Siyena Hines (Alameda School [AHS]);
Paul Hardy Parker Scholarship ($5,000): Hanna Norrbin (EHS);
Paul Hardy Parker Scholarship ($5,000): Layla Robinson (AHS);
Marlene and Steve Kofman Scholarship ($3,000): Olivia Iskander (AHS);
Abraham and Sarah Kofman Scholarship ($500): Izellah Thach (EHS);
Abraham and Sarah Kofman Scholarship ($500): Hoang Bao Chau Nguyen (AHS);
Cox/Hollywood Scholarship ($500): Jiajie Luo (AHS);
Steven Sizer Scholarship ($1,000): Mikaela Fitz (AHS);
Sally Gallagher Scholarship ($1,500): Muzhgan Khanzada (AHS);
Beatrice B. Barrett Scholarship ($1,000): Siyena Hines (AHS);
Faculty Choice Award ($200): Joshua Roman Salvador (Island High School [IHS]);
Kathy Duncan Memorial Art Award ($200): Alexa Lorraine Navidad (IHS);
Larry Church Award ($200):Isabella (Bella) Cristales David (IHS);
Rey Cruz Award ($200): Kevin Cole (IHS);
Ted Anderson Award ($200): Tasahni D. Rochell (IHS);
Alameda Chamber Foundation Scholarships ($1,000): Ziqing Zhen (ASTI); Caitlin Tran, Allen Liao, Mateo Delgado, Kathy Le and Sean Lee Phu (EHS); Siyena Hines (AHS);
Irene Wyman MacDonald Award for Teaching Excellence ($1,000): Eric Lowy, an AHS Spanish teacher and chair of the World Languages Department.
We at the AUSD are grateful to the many organizations and community members who support our students as they leave our district for this next stage of their lives’ journeys, and we can’t wait to hear what our graduates go on to do!
Reach Susan Davis, the Alameda Unified School District’s senior manager for community affairs, at 510-337-7175 or SDavis@alamedaunified.org.