48 Center graduates receive diplomas

CENTER — Center High School graduated 48 seniors Saturday during a ceremony held in the auxiliary gymnasium packed with parents, family, teachers and friends who came celebrate the successful completion of 12 years’ hard work.
Center High School Band provided the recessional for graduates.
Principal Kevin Jones delivered the introduction reminding graduates that a special book was beneath their chairs, a tradition he began several years ago. High school counselor Adele Alfson then introduced Boettcher scholar and valedictorian Jordan Lobato.
In the course of her speech, Lobato told her classmates: “What you are matters, but it is who you are as a person that matters more.” She reminded them that “we only get a certain amount of time on this earth and it is up to us to decide what we do with that time.”
She thanked parents, teachers, grandparents and all who had a hand in “getting us where we are today.” She concluded by thanking her classmates for allowing her to be a part of their lives.
Selena Perez and Aaliyah Porres were co-salutatorians. Porres delivered the salutatorian speech, explaining to classmates that this was not the end of their lives, but only the end of a chapter. Their lives lay before them.
“The pages are blank and the stories are unwritten,” she observed. Life means constant change and “It is up to us to shape our destiny.” She thanked parents, teachers and other family members and told her classmates in closing to “Live your life.”
Center teacher Ashley Hodge was the guest speaker. His message to graduates was to expect major detours on the path that is life but refuse to let them define you. “No matter which path, be the best person you can be. Don’t let the successes of others decide how you feel about yourself.”
‘Don’t let the detours decide your journey; how you get there will make you a better person,” Hodge told them. “Every one of you can go forward and be great.”
The 2017 class flower was the Columbine and class colors were silver and blue. The class song was “Humble and Kind” by Tim McGraw and the class motto was: “Chase your dreams but always know the road that’ll lead you home again.”
The following graduates received their diplomas:
Shania Aguilar, Jasmin Ayala, Adrian Bahena-Alonso, Ashley Carter, Salma Cendejas, Heriberto Chaparro-Gonzalez, Brandon Chavez, Salomon Chavez, Sean Cook, Deidrah Garcia, Andrew Garza, Celia Gevara, Fernando Gonzalez, Samantha Gonzalez, Kelsey Hammel, Teodoro Hernandez, Jordan Lobato, Alejandra Maldonado, Alexis Maldonado, Dean Martinez, Eric Martinez, Gibson Martinez, Alexis Medina, Fabiola Ojo de Agua, Jonathan Olvera-Cruz, Aspen Paiz, Jasmine Palacios, Erik Perez, Esteban Perez, Selena Perez, Skylar Philbern, Aaliyah Porres, Nabor Quintana, Armando Ruiz, Hector Salazar, Elizabeth Serna, Joseph Sierra, Jaqueline Solis, Mason Torr, Henry Torres, Maise Trujillo, Sharon Valdez-Ortiz, Kendall Vance, Rafael Velez, Jorge Venzor, Blanca Villagomez, Maria Villagomez and Dakota Ward.