Jacob Rankin Stadium was absolutely filled for the 2025 Porterville High School graduation ceremony on Wednesday night.
Families, friends, and loved ones were heard yelling, cheering, and blowing horns for their loved ones. Everyone in attendance was seen holding beautiful bouquets, some customized with money or their graduates favorite items.
To kick off the night, all those in attendance stood as the Porterville Military Academy Color Guard presented colors. PHS senior Jolani Daniels led everyone in the flag salute. After everyone had sat down, the PHS 2025 13 valedictorians were presented. These students were; Peter Aguilar, Leah Bautista, Pearl Bravo, Yuliana Caranza Tena, Guadalupe Corona, Ruhani Deswal, Hernan Gutierrez Bedolla, Guadalupe Ibarra, Juan Jimenez Jacuinde, Amelia Legette, Cindy Lemus Gallardo, Caleb Mariboho, and Dominique Ruiz.
Some gave their speeches in English, some in Spanish. Every speech was special to each valedictorian, where they thanked family members, friends, and teachers for always sticking by them, throughout their high school years.
Deswal started her speech by addressing the rest of her graduating class, acknowledging how many memories everyone has made within the past four years together. Deswal then went on to thank her family for being her foundation, her teachers and guidance counselors for the constant encouragement and support, and her friends for turning moments into special memories.
Aguilar began by stating how he wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the support from God, his family, friends, and his teachers, mentioning how the past four years has taken everyone down a different path but how each and every graduate persevered through to get to where they are tonight.
“Here we sit, proudly wearing orange and green as graduates. You did it and no one can ever take that away from you,” stated Aguilar.
Ruiz was up next, starting her speech by quoting her favorite movie Perks of Being a Wallflower, “I know these will all be stories and our pictures will become old photographs. We’ll all become somebody’s mom or dad but right now these moments are not stories to pass down and what is happening is that half of us or holding back tears and the other half is trying not to fall asleep, but we the class of 2025 are currently living our last high school memories.”.
Legette started by sharing how many people had told her high school would go by fast but she didn’t realize how fast until it was over, sharing how as much as she would miss it all, it's now time to turn focus towards the future. “High school was the foundation and now it is time to start building out.”
Bravo started by saying how much of an honor it was to stand there in front of everyone not only as a graduate, but as a reflection of the many hearts, hands, and hopes that helped shape her journey. “Tonight is one of those rare moments when we pause, look back at the mile we have walked and realize we did it together,” stated Bravo.
Yuliana Carranza Tena thanked her family and friends first and foremost during her speech, reflecting on her high school journey and the memories she has made at Porterville High School. In Jaucinde’s speech he also thanked his family and friends for supporting him throughout journey.
Before the graduates took their last steps as Porterville High School students, PHS Principal Jose Valdez gave a quick speech recognizing administration, staff, relatives, friends, and families, thanking the graduates families for keeping the constant support outside of their schooling and hanking teachers and counselors for playing an important part in each graduate's life.
In the 2025 graduating class, 50 students are leaving with a GPA of at least 4.0.