-PDBM/FXT
‘Follow your heart’ GRADS BORROW WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FROM STEVE JOBS By Nick Veronin
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oday is the day we graduate!” Yasmeen Serhan exclaimed toward the beginning of the final student speech — shortly before Los Altos High School’s graduating class of 2012 walked across the stage to accept their diplomas, as parents, family and friends cheered them on. In her speech, Serhan recalled her high school journey — a long and twisted learning and growing experience, which began with the teenager planning to study at University of California, Los Angeles to become a filmmaker, but ended with her choosing to go into pre-law at University of Southern California, UCLA’s rival school. Draped in blue caps and gowns, the 395 Los Altos High School graduates took to the bleachers on Tom Burt Field shortly after 6 p.m. on June 1 to say goodbye to their alma mater and hello to their future. Paying homage one of Silicon Valley’s great leaders — a man that many of this year’s graduates no doubt admire and aspire to emulate — Serhan quoted from Apple founder Steve Jobs’ famous 2006 Stanford commencement speech. “You can’t connect the dots looking forward,” she said. “You can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in the future. You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, karma, whatever it is. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even if it leads you off the well-worn path. And that, my friends, will make all the difference.” V
Los Altos High School Graduates Ryan Abousamra Christopher Achenbach Nirav Agrawal Melanie Alcaraz Gonzalo Alcazar-Roman Carla Alonso Michelle Amador-Rosales Lauren Amorese Parker Anderson Robert Andris III Noel Angel Valdemar Angeles Emil Annevelink Victor Arias
VERONICA WEBER
Los Altos High School students cheer after receiving their diplomas. Valeria Armenta Luiza Arutjunian Mario Atayde Amaya Lindsay Axelrod Anastasia Baboulevitch Eleanor Baer Mya Ballin Natalie Beerman Aviv Behar Jasmine BenitoMartinon Aaron Berube Carrie Beyer Ritu Bhargava Saleil Bhat Katharine Bilson Austin Bowie Mason Boyd Elise Boyle Roslyn Braun Traevion Bruce Miya Burbach Rewa Bush Joshua Byington Charles Cantrell III Roxanne Cardenas Rolando Carrillo Audrey Cashen Jose Castaneda Antonio Cesareo Gabriel Aaron Cha Lucas Champenois Nathan Chan Sophia Chan Michelle Chang Shuyo Chang Salvador Chavez Olivia Chechelski Joseph Chedid Jessica Cheng Tessa Cheng Yu Ming Cheng Marissa Childs Sang Choi Tiffany Choy Amanda Chron Jacqueline Chu Rebecca Chuck Luca Ciaccarini Madison Clousing Brandon Cochran Adam Colcord Glenn Collins Gabriela Contreras Jessica Contreras Benito
Stacy Correa Reyna Cortes Ramirez Elvin Cortez Gina Costa Lauren Costa Gregory Cottarel Alexander Crone Connor Crutcher Fernando Cruz Lissette Cruz-Herrera Ian Cumagun, Jr Meghan Cyron Aimee Dang Dennis Dang Nick Darington Alexandra De Alcuaz Marie De Alcuaz Edith De La Cruz Munoz Laura Delamare Evan Detering Caroline Dew Noah Dietz Christine Van Do Salvador Dominguez Ochoa Anny Dow Diamond Ducker Alison Dyer Daniel Eaton Israel Elizalde Alcantar Jack Elsey Monica Esquivel Navid Farhadi Erin Farrell Benjamin Fisher Brandon Flaig Erica Fossum Andrea Frates Daniel Friberg Omri Fried Kevin Friend Alexander Fujimoto Juan Gallegos Grace Gao Lane Garber Janet Garcia Joseph Garcia Adriana Gardner Leonardo Garivay Ariel Garsh Ochoa Almog Gavra Jose Gayosso Daniel Geng Leah Gentile Bimas Gharti Chhetry Evan Gilliland
David Glass Taura Golafshan Alexandra Goldberg Jonathan Golden Ricardo Golzio Garcia Natalia Gonzalez Ricardo GonzalezTorres Sean Gospe Shweta Govind Todd Grimm William Gros de Mange Hangbo Gu Vilma Guevara Gina Gustafson Rachel Hamamoto Gabriella Hamlett David Han Sarah Hartenbaum Kelly Heaney Colin Heinzmann Jonathan Henriquez Garcia Heidi Hernandez Montes Maria Herrera Katrina Higham Kathleen Hofschield Hannah Hollinger Olivia Hon Taylor Howell Jade Hua Vivian Hua Anthony Hughes Justin Hui Kareem Hyver Aditi Jain Yassamin Jamshidian Nathaniel Jebe Christopher Jimenez Jerusalen JimenezGuido Audun Johnson Sean Johnson Sophia Johnson Jennifer Jou Pierre-Henri Joubert Rashmeen Kaur David Kay Ryan Kellenberger Allandra Kelly Lauren Kim David Kirk Samir Kishore Jennifer Kiyama Anton Kochanov
Dane Kreisman Chuck Kuo Kelly La Poll Milena LacayoHernandez Stephen Lai Nicole Larsen Carolyn Lau Emily Laurance Hanna Lauterbach Jane Lazar Calvin Le Jodie Le Lannic Gregory Lee Shelby Lerch Solomon Leung Catherine Li Alexander Lien Qiu Yuan Lim Lauren Liu Michael Liu Xin Liu Lluvia Loaiza Valerie Lomeli Konico Lopes Nikkei Lopes Amairani Lopez Andres Lopez Mayra Lopez Gilberto Lopez Herrera Katherine Love Kelvin Lu Gabriela Maas Jeremy Macaluso Benjamin Macedo Ignacio Magana Hernandez Pryanka Maghrajh Maura Mahoney Mitra Majidi-Ahy Alejandra Maldonado Nancy Maldonado Joseph Mann Matthew Manning Cristin Marin Melo Anthony Martinez Adron Mason Bijan Massoumi David Mathew Tatiana McAdams Andrei McCabe Cory McClintic Taylor McCreery Juan Medina Kelly Medina Shalin Mehta Luis Mejia Juarez
Alejandra Michel-Lomeli Toni Mikec Alexis Miller Elizabeth Milner Ethan Ming Patrick Miran Marissa Mirbach Lauren Mok Dominick Montelaro David Morgensen Dodson Morgenthaler Niki Moshiri Samantha Moss Kaitlin Mueller Lisa Murphy Nikita Nagpal Sarah Neale Marie Ly Nguyen Margaret Nichols Zacharie Nicolet Gal Nitzberg Kevin O’Brien Alexie Ogonowsky Hanna Oh Kjerstie Olson Omagbemi Onipede Raul Ordonez Alfredo Ortiz Matthew Orton Nolan O’Such Oscar Palma Bianca Paniagua Nadezda Parfenova Esther Park Chelsea Parker Kyle Parker Flor Paz-Cuevas Alexandra Pchenitchnikova Dianne Perez Marina Petros Brianne Pho Arjan Pokharel Katie Pollard Chiraag Prafullchandra Nikita Rajan Melissa Ramirez Ramiro Ramirez Ahmad Rangeen Neha Rathaur Shaban Rexha Alanna Rice Ryan Rishi Rut Rivera Sarita Rivera Austin Robledo
Hallef Franca Rodrigues Maxx Rodriguex Abigail Rodriguez Harry Rojas Daniel Rojas, Jr Elizabeth Romero Gabrielle Rosado Niko Rose Simon Rosenbaum Jorge Ruiz Cody Russo Samuel Ryan Serina Rye Jasmine Sadrolashrafi Lauren Safai Erica Salas Laurel Saldinger Elaheh Salehi Marco Salinas Paez Aimee Sandoval Hernandez Heather Sangster Ridthi Sanjanwala Olivia Santiago Margo Sargent Katya Schaefer Allie Schmiesing Siaosi Schneider Karen Schultz David Schuman Daniel Scott Gabriella Seltzer Yasmeen Serhan Stefanie Serpa Diana Serrano Vides Karen Serrano Vides Devan Shah Kiana Shahidi Amy Shantz Sahar Sharifi Camille Siegel Jacqueline Simion Harrison Simmons Harpreet Singh Andrew Sit Ivan Smirnov Alex Smith Ryan Smith Sheilah Smith Peter Sobrino Fernando Solis Justin Solle Adam Sorensen Stephen Soward Kevin Stangl Sophia Steffens
Devlin Stewart Markell Stine Zachary Strom Robyn Stuwe Bon Sun Ramirez Tara Swan Raquel Szteinbaum Joshua Tabula Annalise Tahran Michelle Tarlton Jonathan Tatman Jeff Taylor Taylor Tompane Thao Tran Nikos Trembois Maxine Tsang Julie Tseng Amipeliasi Tuakoi Monica Turrey Elise Vanderlip Mayra Varelas Shefali Vasudevan Jamshed Vesuna Lydia Vieraitis Uriel Villavicencio Justin Visas Kristina Volovich Matthew Wagner Alyssa Waln Jennifer Wang Adam Warmoth Amanda Wear Sarah Weber Veronica White Samantha WhiteHauser Luke Wiechec Bennett Wiederholt Connor Williams Keyona Williams Haley Winner Benjamin Winters Catherine Witcher Rebecca Wolber Lindsey Wolfe Jasmine Xu Roman Yamilov Andrew Yobs Sage Yort Timothy Yue Jasmin Zavala Omar Zeitoun Rowan Zellers Catherine Zhang Yuliya Zhelbakova Lijing Zhu
June 8, 2012 ■ Mountain View Voice ■ MountainViewOnline.com ■
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