On June 10 and June 11, eighth graders in the Hollister School District graduated like Hollister students had never graduated before. From a line of cars driving through the school parking lots and two schools driving through Bolado Park, students received their certificates and said goodbye to the teachers who got them through it from the front passenger seat of their vehicles.
Two-hundred and fifty-seven students at Marguerite Maze Middle School and the Hollister Dual Language Academy graduated on June 10, with ceremonies in the school parking lot and Bolado Park, respectively. Diana Herbst, principal at Maze, said it was a great day full of joy. Finishing up her first year as principal, Herbst said the experience had been “A Maze-ing.”
“I am happy for the kids,” retiring teacher Kathi Sharp said.
Such scenes also occurred on June 11 with Rancho San Justo Middle School driving through Bolado Park, while students at Calaveras Elementary School and the Accelerated Achievement Academy drove through the campus parking lot. Aggie Obeso-Bradley, principal at Rancho, came out of retirement to take over the position in January. She said it was a very difficult year for everybody—students, their families and teaching staff—but they got through it and are prepared for whatever next year brings. She anticipated 287 students would drive through the parking lot that day.
HSD Trustee Stephen Kain attended all of the graduations and told BenitoLink during the Rancho event that in some ways this was a better way for the students to graduate.
“The whole family is involved,” he said. He believed as each graduating student received their certificates followed by cheers and clapping it is as though the whole family is being congratulated and perhaps this year that is fitting.
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