By Bill Hicks

The Rodriguez High graduating Class of 2019 – which included Rodriguez graduates and more than 40 Early College High School graduates – has what Fairfield-Suisun School District Superintendent Kris Corey called “the perfect recipe” for success.

Indeed, the departing Mustangs, in the wisdom shared Friday by a wide array of speakers, reflected on past, present and future.

Valedictorian Rebekah Kim noted the graduation ceremony wasn’t only a tribute to the students’ time at Rodriguez together. It was, instead, a reflection of “not only the past four years . . . but the past 18,” Kim said.

Source: Rodriguez grads boast ‘perfect recipe’ for success

By Amy Maginnis-Honey

Margaret Clark was one of the first inside Willow Hall on Friday afternoon. She quickly secured a seat and patiently waited as her daughter Xiana Emerson’s name was called as one the 76 graduates from the Public Safety Academy.

Clark’s only child dreams of becoming a nurse.

“She’s kind of shy,” Clark said. “Now she’s getting over her shyness.”

Emerson was a member of the first class at PSA. The class that established the familial culture at the school, said Principal Laurie Halcomb. She came on board as they were finishing eighth grade.

Source: First students to enter PSA leave with high school diplomas

By Susan Hiland

Hugs, kisses, balloons and flowers enveloped graduating seniors of Fairfield High School’s Class of 2019 on Friday for their final act as high school students.

Tanner Redic, 17, looked back on the past four years of his life noting that he had a good experience and got to meet a lot of new people.

From his first day of school where about 30 students piled into his friend’s truck for a picture to the last day, it has been a memorable final year, he said.

Source: Fairfield High senior Falcons soar into future

By Bill Hicks

For graduating seniors, hearing their name called at graduation is the biggest moment of their young lives.

Not for Rodriguez senior Ali Hussain.

True, graduation is a big moment – and a remarkable achievement given all he’s overcome – but Hussain won’t hear his name called at graduation. That’s not because he won’t graduate, it’s because he is deaf.

The cheers and adulation that flood over graduates as they walk across the stage to receive their diploma might be absent from Hussain’s experience, but the magnitude of the accomplishment is just as great, if not greater, than the other graduates.

Source: Graduation 2019: Rodriguez senior an inspirational sign to others

By Amy Maginnis-Honey

It’s been a rough few years for Shakir Howard.

His mother was killed in a car accident at the beginning of his junior year.

Sonya Barron was always in the crowd at basketball games to cheer him on. She had returned to school planning a new career to boost the family finances.

“She was always there for me every day,” Shakir Howard said.

He learned about her death in a classroom.

Source: Graduation 2019: Mother’s death took a toll, then became inspiration to finish high school

By Bill Hicks

As Hollywood movies with high school themes have demonstrated over the years, fitting in can often be as big of a challenge as getting decent grades.

Armijo High senior Stanley Jackson knows that as well as anyone, but persisted past those obstacles to be recognized as one of the school’s top students.

There tends to be two types of students that inhabit high schools in Fairfield – either the ones who have lived here for a long time and have gone to school with basically the same group of students for years, or the ones whose parents are in the military and switching schools is commonplace.

Source: Graduation 2019: Leadership class helps Stanley Jackson overcome shyness

By Bill Hicks

As the name of the Armijo High yearbook would indicate, the 2019 Armijo graduation Thursday was a celebration of the diverse mixture that has made the school vibrant for more than a century.

That mix was well-represented during the many addresses throughout the evening, with speakers quoting everyone from Mr. Rogers to Maya Angelou, Wiz Khalifa and even a handful of Marvel’s Avengers.

Source: Armijo High graduates look ahead to persevering over failure

By Amy Maginnis-Honey

Seven graduates bid goodbye Wednesday afternoon to the Matt Garcia Career & College Academy.

They also represented the last class that can call themselves graduates of the school named after late Fairfield City Councilman Matt Garcia.

It has been serving sixth through 12th grades and is becoming a school of choice for middle schoolers. The high school portion will be closed.

Zachary Wasilchin attended Matt Garcia all four years.

Source: Final Matt Garcia Academy grads earn diplomas