Congratulations, graduates!  

It's inspiring to see such confident, thoughtful, caring students graduate from our schools and launch their futures, especially in such a tumultuous time nationally and globally. I was honored to speak at our College Now and Northgate High graduation ceremonies, and to attend or watch all the others online. 

All of the speakers at all the graduations were excellent, but two students from Mt. Diablo High in particular really moved me. (watch here starting at 30:19 and 41:22) 

• Randy Yanez Gonzales gave a fully bilingual speech about working backbreaking jobs before and after school and on weekends with his dad, who said "study, son, so you don't have to work like me because a pencil weighs less than a shovel".
• And valedictorian Kuan Te Lu shared what it was like to come here in 6th grade from Taiwan, not speaking English, feeling left out until he found a welcoming home at Mt Diablo High. He acknowledged his family as well as the smiling staff, the Chinese culture club, and multiple languages being woven into various activities by encouraging teachers for his success.

I'm thankful for our student school board member Crystal Ochoa Gonzales, who provided much insight throughout the year as to how students from various schools were faring and feeling. She graduated from Olympic High School and her speech shares her inspiring journey as well. (watch here at 52:32)

I loved seeing the College Now students open their ceremony with multilingual welcomes, and was impressed that student Madeleine Lee had earned an AA degree while in high school, and yet focused her speech on the importance of not just academics, but also of diverse community and finding friends who accepted her fully as herself.

As for Northgate, I felt happy tears coming to my eyes as they opened with two students singing a beautiful rendition of "For Good", and then again as I looked out into the crowd of graduates before my speech, as I've watched many of them grow up since elementary school.  (watch here starting at 3:20 and 1:17:13)

 Have a wonderful summer everyone, and happy PRIDE month!  Here is the group I organized this year to walk in the Clayton PRIDE parade, from public schools all over Contra Costa.