A sea of black and gold washed over the green fields at College of the Canyons on Tuesday evening after Golden Valley High School’s class of 2026 graduated.
The evening was filled with unbridled joy, screaming loved ones and the constant reminder for the graduating class of 444 students to “Stay Golden.”
The ceremony was kicked off with a welcome by several graduates speaking in different languages – English, Spanish, Tagalog and American Sign Language.
Azba Rahama, a senior who only attended this year, spoke to the crowd about her experience at Golden Valley.
“My first day walking to Golden Valley, I was already late. Not late for class, but late in a different way. I was late to friendships that had been building for years, late to inside jokes that I didn’t understand, and late to a story that all of you guys had already been building together,” Rahama said. “I remember thinking the night before the first day of school, ‘How do you join something that already feels complete?’ At the end of the year, I realized that the answer was quite unexpected. It’ll just happen, and you’ll just stop feeling late. It didn’t happen all at once.”
Rahama said it happened in small and ordinary moments that they probably overlooked, like late-night texts about homework that turned into different conversations and in a classroom where students did not compete but supported one another.
“The community we build, because at some point, someone will walk into our lives the way I walked into the school. Uncertain, hesitant and wondering if they belong. And in that moment, we will face a choice. To look away or to make room. This extraordinary class has shown me from day one what that choice looks like. And I’m standing on the stage before you, because you all chose to make room for me,” Rahama said.
Thomas Kliever, the other graduate who spoke, recalled a memory when thinking of what he wanted to say to the crowd. He said it was a Wednesday night, and he was wearing pajamas and flip flops, hopped a fence and went for a walk alongside the train tracks, not knowing what he would do.
“Initially, I was searching for a metaphor to represent us. Something witty, something clean, something provocative, to get the people going. I thought about apples and how each one, like us, is a similar shade of scarlet on the outside, yet uniquely bruised by their own battles beneath their skin,” Kliever said.
He said he continued walking down the tracks and could barely see what was ahead of him – making him realize that is where he and his classmates were at in this stage of their lives.
“None of us have the next decades of our lives figured out, and most not even the next 10 steps. This, however, doesn’t mean we should frantically sprint towards adulthood or freeze from fear of an oncoming train. Rather, we should be purposeful about decisions,” Kliever said.
He ended his speech apologizing to his mother because he did not tell her that he did that, drawing laughter from the crowd.
“But what I am saying is that as we leave here tonight, we don’t need a perfect plan. Just the courage to step forward, the curiosity to step away, and the confidence to find our way back,” Kliever added.
After the speeches, the Golden Valley senior choir sang “Over the Rainbow.”
Golden Valley Principal Jennifer Ambrose reminded the graduating class that it was just four years ago when they began writing this part of their stories and there they were, about to embark on their next journey.
“You arrived here as freshmen: nervous, excited and looking at the blank cover of your high school story. You spent the next four years writing that story through every friendship formed, every relationship built, every challenge based, and through every academic triumph achieved. You now stand at the crossroads of adulthood, ready to begin the next chapter of your life,” she said.
She said that in many ways, her story and theirs were intertwined – while she was experiencing her firsts as the new principal, they were experiencing their lasts as seniors.
During her speech, she announced that several members of Grizzly Nation were retiring and that former principal of Golden Valley Sal Frias was joining them, too. The crowd of students cheered loudly after the announcement.
“Finally, we know the true pillar of our community. This year, our former principal, Mr. Sal Frias, is also retiring. After decades of service, his impact on Golden Valley, is far too vast to ever be forgotten,” Ambrose said. “To our parents, guardians and families: Thank you does not seem like enough. Thank you for trusting us with your most precious, precious, treasures, and thank you for being our partners every step of the way.”
Her final words to the class of 2026 talked about their character, their kindness and support of one another, and their impact on Golden Valley, and how this chapter of their lives was simply a bookmark that held its place while they were figuring out who they were – reminding them to life live to the fullest, have fun and stay “Golden.”
