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Schools

Introducing the Amador Valley High School Class of 2011

Nearly 600 seniors at Amador Valley High School switched their tassels at the 88th commencement ceremony Friday night

On Friday night, the football stadium filled with the rich purple graduating gowns of 576 seniors, covering the green turf as their friends and families watched from the stands.

“Four years ago, we started off as freshmen,” said Associated Student Body President, Xanth El-Sayed.

“And here we stand today in our purple gowns and purple caps, ready to take on the world.”

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This year marks the graduation of Amador’s Class of 2011. The ceremony featured performances from the school concert band, choir, and members of the American Sign Language class. Awards were presented to students to recognize special achievements, including contributions to civic engagement, community service, and academic prowess (see full list below).

“In a time when public education is threatened by budget cuts and the recession,” said Class of 2011 valedictorian Omsri Bharat, “it’s amazing that the quality of our education is so good. We owe it to Amador and to our community to give back.”

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Bharat was chosen alongside her classmate, Sahil Aggarwal, to be Amador’s valedictorian. This is the first time in more than four years that there has been a tie for the school’s top academic student.

“Now we’re graduating high school and are on the threshold of what mom and dad call the ‘real world,’” Aggarwal said in his speech, which called on his peers to look to solving larger social and economic issues in their future.

“The importance of teamwork and continuing to make a difference is even greater now than it was in high school.”

Aggarwal, like Bharat and Class of 2011 Salutatorian, Kathy Yuh, did not hesitate to poke fun at themselves in their speeches, light-heartedly joking about their lack of friends due to their academics, or their fears and struggles with speech writing.

Senior Class Officers Justin Shotwell, Caylee Heller, and Elena Montauti also addressed the commencement crowd, saluting the various achievements of the graduating class.

Following, Amador Valley’s Teen Poets Laureates Mitch Grimes and Noelle Malindzak, each presented their own poem to the Class of 2011.

Grimes’s poem, entitled “Finding Your Rhythm,” and Malindzak’s poem “The Creators, The Explorers, The Future” spoke to the uncertainty and opportunity of going off to college and finding oneself after high school.

Amador Valley’s new principal Jim Hansen also spoke to the class. Hansen, the former principal of , said that when asked what was the biggest difference between administrating middle school versus high school students, he had one word: “Dances.”

Hansen made the official presentation of the Class of 2011, accepted by the Assistant Superintendent of the Pleasanton Unified School District, Bill Faraghan. The night was over after all 576 students received their diplomas and tossed up their caps.

“Right now our families are extremely proud of us,” said Salutatorian Yuh in her speech. “This would be the most opportune time to ask for money.”

A Full List of Award Recipients from AVHS Graduation:

The Jose Maria Amador Awards (10):

Chloe Brobst
Xanth El-Sayed
Stefan Hall
Joyce Han
Andrew Mondello
Cameron Seams
Andrew Seitz
Emily Truax
Kelsey Williams
Katrina Paraskevopoulos 

The Juanita Hagen Civic Engagement and Service Learning Award: Rahael Borchers

Josten’s Senior of the Year Award: Robby Potter

 The David Yandell Service Award: Jenna Martin

The Helen Vardon Award (highest honor at Amador): Kathy Yuh

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