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Achieving a 97% graduation rate, the 33 proud students who make up the San Andreas Continuation High School’s Class of 2026 accepted their diplomas on June 4.
The class’s rate represents a remarkable increase from two years ago, when only 67% completed their high school education.
“This was an amazing opportunity,” San Andreas principal Garret Quindimil said, “to showcase what students can achieve with the right staff and guidance. Many were told they would never graduate from high school. At San Andreas, they found a new chance to fulfill that dream.”
In opening remarks at the ceremony, County Superintendent of Schools Krystal Lomanto echoed Quindimil, saying the students’ success was a testament to strength, perseverance and the power of believing in themselves, “even when the road has been anything but easy.”
“Success does not always come in a straight line,” she said, “You did not take the traditional path, but you took the courageous one. You faced challenges head-on, and today you will walk across this stage not just with a diploma but with a story you all get to tell.”
In her farewell address, graduating student Isabella Segundo said that high school was more than just classes and assignments. It provided friendships, memories and moments that will last long after the ceremony.
“We did this together,” she said. “We supported each other, learned from each other, and grew alongside one another. Each of us has a different story, a different path, and different dreams. But today, we share this moment.”
Segundo said that even though the students were graduating, they should understand it was normal for them not to feel that they had “everything figured out,” and that life isn’t about having all the answers.
“It’s about being willing to keep asking questions,” she said, “to keep trying, and to keep moving forward. There will be challenges ahead. There will be moments of doubt. But there will also be opportunities, growth, and successes we can’t yet imagine.”
At the end of her remarks, Segundo encouraged the students to believe in themselves and take the next step, even when it feels uncertain.
“Let’s go forward with confidence, with kindness, and with the courage to be ourselves,” she said. “And wherever life takes us, I hope we remember this. We are capable. We are resilient. And we are ready.”
San Andreas was recently honored with the prestigious Model Continuation High School Award, given to only 70 continuation high schools out of more than 400 in California.
Fellow graduating student Xochitl Ramos said that before she transferred to San Andreas from Hollister High School, she could not have imagined herself graduating.
“I was not a bad girl,” she said, “But I had low attendance and behavioral conflicts. Coming to San Andreas completely changed my life. It made me want to become better, and I couldn’t be more thankful for this school for the overwhelming love that they gave me.”
Graduating student Marley Gila said she appreciated the support system that San Andreas offers, including counselors who took her progress in classes seriously.
“If I were behind,” she said, “they’d pull me out and help me with my work, make sure I was all caught up. And at the other school, they didn’t do that. Before I came to San Andreas, I never thought I would ever graduate. They help you get on the right track.”
In his concluding remarks, Quindimil said he would like to leave the students with words that have guided him through the difficult times in his life.
“When I had challenges to overcome,” he said, “my father would say, ‘Make today better than yesterday and make tomorrow better than today. Always forward, never backward.’ Class of 2026, we believe in you, and we cannot wait to see what you accomplish next.”
Scholarship recipients
Marley Gila: Spanish Lodge
Julissa Hernandez: Hollister Lions Club, Latino Coalition, Veterans of Foreign Wars
Arturo Martinez: Hollister Lions Club
Julissa Villarreal: Hollister Lions Club, Latino Coalition, Veterans of Foreign Wars Women’s Club of Hollister
San Andreas Continuation High School Class of 2026
Julian Castillo
Liliana Castro
Daniel De La Rosa
Ivan Del Real
Anthony Diaz Leal
Isaiah Dimas
Haiden Dizon
Celeste Escamilla
Mariah Flores
Emmanuel Forrest
Sara Gallegos Lopez
Marley Gila
Noah Gomez
Julissa Hernandez
Alexis Hernandez Cruz
Natalie Juarez
Robert Justo
Alfred Madrigal
Arturo Martinez
Christian Martinez
Abraham Menchaca
Aiden Mendoza
Brian Murillo
Angel Navarro
Xochitl Ramos
Giovanni Rodriguez Macias
Jacob Romero Hernandez
Erik Sandoval
Isabella Segundo
Justin Segura
Mark Anthony Valencia
Julissa Villarreal
Nathaniel Villarreal
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