Whittier High School celebrated 430 members of the Class of 2019 during its 118th commencement ceremony on June 5 at Torres Stadium.
"Being a student at Whittier has taught us how to face the world head on and to never be afraid of a challenge," senior class president Emily Rogers said. "I believe that we leave Whittier with the motivation and the hunger to push our limits to be as successful as we strive to be. Whittier has taught me many life lessons and has helped me with so much to develop as a scholar, an athlete, a friend, a leader and a cardinal with class."
Principal Timothy Liggett encouraged seniors to continue to pay it forward and give back to the Whittier High community.
"Paying it forward is a concept that is deeply ingrained in the core values of CLASS, especially Leadership and Service, and so many of you have clearly already taken that to heart during your time at Whittier High School," he said. "The Class of 2019 has consistently paid it forward at an incredibly high level and that is something to be very proud of."
During its ceremony, Whittier High recognized 19 Cardinal Key winners, who represent 4% of their graduating class. Students were selected by their teachers for consistently demonstrating the highest standard of WHS’s core values of Citizenship, Leadership, Achievement, Self-Respect and Service to the school and community.
Whittier High also recognized retirees Carmen Fox, a Spanish teacher there since 2001, and Jennifer Alvarez, a science teacher at the school since 1999 and activities director since 2003.
Whittier Union students plan on attending four-year universities and prestigious higher education institutions, including Yale, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC and UC Davis, as well as community colleges and vocational schools in the state and throughout the country.
Many students are also pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers, such as bioengineering, neuroscience and biology. Some students will also enter military service or join the workforce.