Madison Fanning, emcee and Advisory Council president, kicked off the evening with thanking friends, family and staff of the 40 graduates at the Santa Clarita Valley International Charter School graduation at Higher Vision Church on Friday night.
“The class of 2025 has endured many challenges this year, but we persevered to make this year stronger, wiser, and ready to go into the world to make a difference. My fellow graduates. We did it. Tonight, we graduate,” Fanning said.
Fanning welcomed to the stage Isabella Abarta and Jasmine Adler, who were performing the national anthem, with Abarta singing and Adler signing in American Sign Language.
Abarta introduced Chad Powell, school director of SCVi.
“We get to celebrate tonight, not just academic achievement, but the journey that each of you have taken to get here. On behalf of myself and Ms. (Martha) Spansel-Pellico (school director), we have the privilege as your school administration of ensuring that you grow not just in knowledge, but in character,” Powell said. “As I consider the few words that I can share with you in the last few minutes that I get to be one of your directors, I didn’t want to talk at all about the real world, the adult world, college, career, all those things, instead I want to talk about what is most important, that is your character.”
Powell added that two words came to mind when he discussed character – authenticity and empathy.
“The world doesn’t need perfect people; it needs real ones,” Powell said.
Powell continued listing what it means to be empathetic, in his words, the most powerful skill the graduates have cultivated at SCVi.
“It’s what turns knowledge into wisdom, when you listen to understand rather than to reply, when you choose kindness over judgement … as you leave here today, take your authentic voice and empathetic heart into the world. Use them to create change, to build community and to live a life you’re proud of,” Powell said.
Sarah McDaniels, a founding parent of SCVi, took the stage and was grateful that the box of tissues she placed at the podium stayed because things would get emotional.
McDaniels recalled a trip she took to Trader Joe’s, and she ran into a friend who had just come back from a coffee meeting with some fellow mothers, back when SCVi was just an idea they wanted to come to life.
“I was all in. I started helping immediately. I organized parents’ support for the school to be authorized; I wrote fundraising appeal letters. (A) few months later, SCVi was approved by the William S. Hart (Union High School District) school board to open the following fall,” McDaniels said.
McDaniels continued her speech with some encouragement to the graduating class of 2025.
“You are 40 young adults who are kind, capable, brilliant, hardworking and innovative. I want you to remember you are lifelong learners, you are empathetic citizens, authentic individuals, design thinkers, and you are leaders,” McDaniels said.
McDaniels wanted to remind the graduates that this school was just an idea and dream among parents and because of that, they have done exceptional things and will continue to do so.
After McDaniels, Colleen Banks-Shanahan and Kris Nilsen presented the Founder’s Graduate award.
The Founder’s Graduate award is for students who have completed their entire education at SCVi. This year they had seven students.
Nicole Miller, SCVi board president, gave a speech about how she got her daughter, Keane, involved in SCVi and how the school helped Keane learn.
“We enrolled. Thirteen years flew by and here we are today, the end … it didn’t actually go that fast. Although every parent of a graduate tonight will tell you, it seems like it did,” Miller said with a laugh.
She started telling stories about her experience as a parent, like dropping her daughter off on her first day at SCVi.
Keane needed her mother for the next three days and Nicole explained that it was never a problem because SCVi recognized what Keane needed to learn and develop.
“Just like those first four days of kindergarten, I got to witness Keane being seen, included, welcomed all while using her empathetic voice,” Miller said.
Fanning then took the stage again to say congratulations to her fellow classmates.
“I couldn’t be more excited to graduate with all of you guys. I love you and this year has been one of the best and most wild rides,” Fanning said in between breaths.
Fanning listed all the fun memories she and her classmates experienced like the senior sunrise, breakfast at Denny’s, the senior prank and senior assassin.
“This might be the last time we are all together. The people you laughed with, cried with, hugged, high-fived or palmed the foreheads of. Once we leave here tonight, they become just some kids we went to high school with. This is likely the last time you’ll see most of them, so say ‘Hi’ one last time and take it all in,” Fanning said.
Being one of the Founder’s graduates, Fanning did not know where to start, she just knew that life would be weird to not have the other six learners in her life.
Fanning got emotional when she started calling out the names of the staff and why she would miss them.
Adler began her speech thanking the parents who are the unsung heroes, in her words.
“Their love, encouragement and strength have been the steady foundation that’s carried us here. On behalf of all of us, I want to say thank you,” Adler said.
Adler continued saying that she lived in two worlds – one filled with school and the other filled with her family.
She called out to each of her family, thanking them and telling them how much they meant to her.
“The journey ahead won’t be easy, but neither was high school. Look at us now. Congratulations class of 2025, we made it, and I can’t wait to see what we do next,” Adler said.
After the speeches, Nilsen had the class of 2025 stand up for their last roll call, with each learner’s plans after they graduate told the audience.
Matthew Wayne, a faculty member, took the stage with the entire graduating class screaming, clapping and cheering out his name.
He began saying he gets often asked what the difference between a teacher and facilitator is.
“The facilitator is a teacher who not only guides the learning experience, but engages in it,” Wayne said.
Wayne added what he has learned from the class of 2025.
After Wayne, Spansel-Pellico and Powell conferred the diplomas.
“It’s my pleasure and honor to present to you the graduating class of 2025,” Powell said.
“Will the class of 2025 please stand. On the count of three, we are going to move our tassels from right to left. One. Two. Three. Congratulations class of 2025,” Spansel-Pellico said.
