Santa Barbara High Schools Celebrate Class of 2025

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – It was a day of celebration for Santa Barbara Unified School District seniors as the Class of 2025 graduated Thursday evening from San Marcos, Santa Barbara, and Dos Pueblos high schools.

Students took their final walk through stadiums across the district as high schoolers and turned their tassels as graduates, marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. Parents cheered from the bleachers as names were called and Pomp and Circumstance played.

“Today I feel a weird mix of unknowing, but I do know that we will look back someday on these years, on this moment, wishing we could relive the simplicity of being a teenager,” said one student during the ceremony.

Vanesa Ortiz, a former Santa Barbara High School staff member and alumna, reflected on the milestone.

"I've seen them grow up working with them for a lot of years," Ortiz said. "This is like the excitement of it all, seeing them walk down the hill, and it's sad to see them go."

Dare Holdren, principal of San Marcos High School, said it was a special moment for the school community.

"You know, I love the kids, and they did a great job this year,” Holdren said. “And so it's such a wonderful opportunity to celebrate them.”

Arianna Escamilla, a San Marcos graduate headed to UC San Diego, said the moment felt surreal.

"I'm excited, it doesn't feel real," Escamilla said. "It almost feels like it's all a joke and it's going to be back to normal on Monday."

"It feels crazy, I'm still trying to process that it's happening, but it's awesome. It feels great," said Maya Ruvalcaba Rubio, who is Army-bound.

Ruvalcaba Rubio also offered encouragement to other students.

"If you think you can't do it, you definitely can,” she said. “I never thought I'd be able to graduate a year early. I wasn't in the best place to graduate early, but find a way and you're going to make it."

In total, 1,455 students graduated this week from the Santa Barbara Unified School District. About 788 of them plan to attend Santa Barbara City College in the fall.

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