Valencia High School graduating senior Gavin Helms said to the crowd that a grave has two dates on it – the birth year and the death year, with someone’s entire life in the tiny dash in between.
Valencia High celebrated 533 graduates’ lives on Wednesday night at College of the Canyons with families and friends filling the stands to the brim.
“We’re left with this time, memories, moments, hopes, dreams, fears, doubts, anxieties, aspirations. What are we to make in it? Huh? Here’s what I’m going to make of it. I’m going to live a lot, and I’m going to love a lot,” Helms said. “Live a lot. Do that thing you keep putting off. Take the opportunity you’re not sure about. Get down in the weeds and achieve your goals little by little. And love a lot. Love your hobbies. Love your family, love your partner, love your friends, love others, love yourself, love your life. And that’s hard.”
Helms added that he wanted his class to make sure they had fun at their graduation, whether it was shaking someone’s hand, throwing their caps up, going to In-N-Out afterward, but to just enjoy themselves.
Helms then asked the crowd of graduates if they were free of regrets, saying he would be lying if he said yes and that he did everything right.
“Because that’s the thing about high school. No one gets it right the first time. No one gets it a second time. And that’s OK. High school is a place to learn academically, of course, but also to learn socially, mentally, morally,” Helms said. “While elementary school may be the literal playground, high school is the figurative playground, a place where we can make mistakes where we can learn from those mistakes.”
Helms said high school helped with learning how to cooperate, how to communicate, how to learn, how to grow and how to succeed.
“We all have so much more life ahead of us to get (it) right,” Helms said.
He concluded his speech saying that he hopes his fellow graduates go out and live their dash.
Kullen Welch, principal of Valencia High, said to the graduating class of 2026 that he hopes Valencia High helped them find and pursue their passion.
“Education isn’t just what you’ve completed here; it’s what you now carry with you, the confidence to figure things out, to keep learning, and to keep pushing forward. You’ve proven you can do hard things, you’ve proven you can grow, you’ve proven you can learn. So, as you leave tonight, take that mindset with you, keep learning, keep asking questions, and don’t let anyone, including yourself, put limits on what’s possible,” Welch said. “Class of 2026, your story is still being written, but never forget where you came from. As I stated earlier, and all the alumni here tonight can attest, once a Viking, always a Viking.”
During the ceremony, the Valencia High Vikings choir sang, and the “Viking Torch of Learning” was passed over to the incoming seniors, accepted by Alana Du, the 2027 executive president at Valencia.
“It is now our turn to challenge the incoming seniors to light the way and uphold the traditions and ideals of the torch, just as we have. This torch of learning is hereby passed from the class of 2026 to the class of 2027. We urge you to uphold the tradition of excellence, to lead and learn, and in turn grow through the experiences and challenges you will face. Make us proud to be a forever Viking,” said Sydney Yen and Abhiram Bayya, two of the graduating seniors.
After the speeches, the music and the graduates receiving their diplomas, the class of 2026 cheered loudly and proudly, they tossed their caps in the air, with smiles painted across their faces.
