The feeling one gets at the Responsibility, Integrity, Strength, Empowerment (RISE) graduation is one of triumph at the end of a long battle. RISE is a college preparatory and academic support nonprofit organization housed on Berkeley High School’s campus. It is designed specifically for low-income, “at-promise” students, many of whom spoke at the RISE graduation on Friday, May 22, 2026, about financial, health, behavioral, and academic struggles over the past four years. Despite — or maybe because of — the challenges that many RISE students have faced in high school, the program’s graduation ceremony felt exultant, like years of hard work finally paying off.
The event began at 6 p.m. with dinner served by Angellos Tacos Catering, a company owned by the family of a 2023 RISE graduate. Guests ate and mingled with family and friends for an hour before the main ceremony began.
The ceremony opened with a short speech by RISE Executive Director Adriana Betti, who thanked the community of people who had supported the RISE program, including Case Managers Wardell Myles and Javier Rebollar, RISE graduate and San Francisco State professor Dr. Angela Fillingim, BHS College and Career Counselor Yasmin Navarro, and District 4 Councilman Igor Tregub, who was in attendance.
Next, four speeches were delivered by RISE graduates Jae Marie Howard, Amari Leaks, Lucia Aguilar Martinez, and Jalayah Rice. Each spoke about the power and relief that came with overcoming challenges in their academic and personal lives. They shared experiences of feeling uplifted and supported by the RISE community, and encouragement to push themselves.
Finally, Myles and Rebollar called each graduate to the front to accept their RISE diplomas. Fillingim read a small note written by each of the students in which they mentioned the people who had helped them along the way and what they planned on doing after high school.
The event was a powerful reminder of the importance of programs like RISE in ensuring that no student is left behind simply due to their life circumstances.