Buckingham mints 97 new grads, a class of friends, principal says
Samantha Working, principal of Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy, said the legacy of the 31st graduating class “is their friendships with one another. They are really close to each other.”
Her remarks came minutes before the school’s 97 seniors walked onto the artificial turf Friday morning at Tom Zunino Stadium at Vacaville High, where the school’s commencement was held under a cloudless sky and temperatures in the mid-70s.
And during her address to the class of 2025 and to the some 600 people — families, friends and relatives — seated in the bleachers on both sides of the field, Working ended her prepared statements by urging the students to “continue on your journey of learning and strive to learn by living. Don’t sit on the sidelines and wait for life to happen to you. Cherish your friendships, serve your community, and continue to make us proud.”
At the beginning of her address, Working singled out seniors who achieved high academic honors, seniors who were among the top 10 percent of their class, were leaders of the Associated Student Body, earned the state seal of biliteracy, and members of the National Honor Society, among others.
She quoted Helen Keller, the American author and activist for the disabled: “Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.”
“These are the lessons that our faculty couldn’t directly teach you,” said Working, “but these lessons have shaped and refined your character. And while I hope you remember the math formulas, the literary devices, and the scientific method, I believe Keller is right. The truest version of understanding — or learning — comes through our lived experiences.”
She also asked the seniors, wearing brick-red caps and gown and seated in white chairs in front of the temporary stage, to “take a moment” to applaud the parents’ endeavors to ensure the success of their student or students at the McClellan Street campus.
A highlight of the graduation ceremony came with five special awards accorded to six students: Melany Millor Rodriguez, who will attend Columbia University in the fall, received the Judith Cook Community Service award; twins Faithlyn and Ryan Posadas received the Academic Achievement award for posting the highest GPAs among the graduating Buckingham Knights, at 4.37 and 4.32; Rickie Ortega, for Personal Achievement, for his efforts to overcome challenging circumstances to graduate.
Anthony Hernandez received the Eric Kepford Career Technical Education Award for completing the “Engineering pathway” and will major in aerospace engineering in college; and Brooke Maurice received the Elise P. Buckingham Award who demonstrated leadership “not by incentive or reward, but by the humble aspiration of bettering a campus community,” said social science teacher Meliza Washino, who presented the honor.
In brief remarks, Richard Ackman, student body president, said, “Today we’re getting ready for a new chapter.” In her remarks, student body vice president, noted student life characterized by “good days and bad days and worse days.” In a lighthearted moment, she took a selfie while onstage and quoted global superstar entertainer Taylor Swift, saying, “The scary thing is you’re on your own. The cool thing is you’re on your own.”
Superintendent Ed Santopadre said the Buckingham class of 2025 left a legacy of trying “to make your community better,” an allusion to the many “service learning” activities the students undertook in the past academic year, including serving in rehabilitation nursing centers, coaching youth sports, and working with the Vacaville Parks and Recreation Department.
After tossing their caps skyward, the students mingled with one another, embraced, posed for memento photos and planned for their graduation night events. The uptempo disco tune “Celebration” by Kool & The Gang rang out over several different loudspeakers.
Victoria Jerulle, 17, of Vacaville, said her immediate plans were to celebrate at a dinner with family. She will attend Solano Community College for a time, then possibly transfer to the University of California, Irvine, where she will major in biotech studies.
Anthony Hernandez, 17, the Kepford Award recipient, planned to attend a Sober Grad Nite event on Friday. Likewise, he will attend SCC in the fall and begin his aerospace studies before transferring to UC Irvine.
Asked what Buckingham memories he will retain in the years to come, he said the camaraderie of the school’s cross-country team. Hernandez also said he and more than a dozen classmates “were all really close,” confirming Working’s general description of the graduating seniors.
Moments later, the Ashford and Simpson tune “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” seeped out of nearby speakers, a song about personal ambition mixed with a shared love between two people, and, in some ways, described the friendships nurtured among the Buckingham class of 2025.
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