“We gather to honor the incredible accomplishments of our graduating seniors whose hard work, resilience and dedication have brought them to this moment,” Alietti Ortega-Mendoza, Academy of Medicine and Public Service (AMPS), and Multilingual Program (MLP) counselor, said when opening the Berkeley High School Latines Unidos graduation ceremony.
Next, Berkeley High School Principal Juan Raygoza, joined by his young daughter on stage, reflected on the BHS community shaped by the 2025 graduating seniors over the past four years. “In groups like Latines Unidos, you brought people together … you reminded us all that being in community means showing up, speaking up and uplifting each other,” Raygoza said. After sharing stories of his own experience growing up Latino, he urged the graduates to take with them everything they have learned, and stressed that “our communities need you now more than ever.”
Student speaker Aztli Ortega Arriaga then spoke about her journey, growing into and struggling with her cultural identity. She encouraged everyone to embrace themselves, think critically, and practice empathy to strengthen community.
Subsequently, senior Angelina Ramos Martinez recited a poem, “Immigrants in Our Own Land,” by Jimmy Santiago Baca, powerfully reflecting on resilience through loss of hope and identity within the prison system.
BHS Spanish teacher Susi Lopez spoke a few final words in Spanish before the 52 graduating seniors were called up, walking the stage of the community theater to receive their graduation badges while Lopez read out personal statements from each student.
Once the last names were called, seniors were invited to stand up once again. Applause echoed throughout the theater as the guests celebrated the seniors. Local mariachi band Trio Sol de Mexico played music as graduates proceeded outside to celebrate.