BY CAMILLE DEVAUL PHOTOS BY MATT MCFARLANE
TEMPLETON EAGLES
M
embers of the Class of 2022 from Templeton High School officially graduated and closed their high school chapter on Thursday, June 9. Elise Black opened the ceremony singing the national anthem and was followed by a flyover from the Estrella Warbirds. THS Principal Josh Aston then took over the ceremony to start with a few dad jokes. Senior Class President and Female Athlete of the Year Maddie Bobbit was the first student to give her speech. Maddie remembered the late Coach Dave Harper, who passed in 2021. She, along with other students, worked to name the school’s new weight room after their late and beloved coach. Graduating senior Remi Campbell gave an official dedication and tribute to Coach Harper later in the ceremony. Co-Salutatorians Owen Daulton and Zach Gonzales shared the stage to address the graduating class. Owen walked the class through Aristotle’s appeals: pathos, ethos, and logos and how they related back to their class. And Zach provided the crowd from some of his favorite quotes from Einstein — and Kanye West.
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It was then Valedictorian John Nicholson’s time to shine in front of his class one last time. He reminisced with his class on their time with Zoom and hybrid schedules. John walked the crowd through the triangle of life, a concept he learned from Teacher of the Year Jason Diodati. Diodati explained to his students that each point on the triangle has an influence on their lives: time, money, and happiness. “The triangles we form will change throughout our lifetime,” said John. “but the key is finding the proper balance of the points.” How each point is used will depend on what the person puts into priority. “I have enjoyed the past four years with each and every one of you, and I hope that we all find balance in our own triangle of life.” Inspirational Teacher of the Year Erik Lewis commended the senior class on how they handled their unexpectedly challenging high school career. “It’s hard to believe that just a few months ago we were still wearing masks,” said Lewis, “I think that it hit these seniors the hardest. They had to deal with COVID for more than half of their high school careers.” The laid-back, surfing, and always supportive teacher gave the students some advice to use
throughout their lives moving forward: 1. When you do something wrong, admit it. Swallow your pride and say you are sorry. 2. You can’t fix other people, but you can fix yourself. 3. Happiness is a choice and attitude is everything. 4. Try to put yourself in other people’s shoes. Perspective in life is everything. “The senior class has been an absolute pleasure,” Lewis added, “Your strength and resilience in this weird time are going to help you get through life through all of its challenges.” Principal Aston then exchanged flags with the class’s foreign exchange students. Traditionally at Templeton, the class will exchange an American flag for the flag of the student’s home country. Aston proceeded to exchange two American flags, one from Japan and one from Spain. To end the night, the Templeton Unified School District Board of Trustees, Nelson Yamagata, Matt Vierra, and Jan Nimick, proceeded to hand the students their diplomas. These Eagles are undoubtedly leaving THS stronger and wiser than when they entered. They stood together through unexpected challenges. Congratulations to the Templeton High School Eagles Class of 2022!
Paso Robles Magazine | July 2022
