CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / LOS ANGELES

Aurora Ponce, the 18-year-old South L.A. valedictorian who was to be barred from giving a speech at graduation because she participated in a student protest over growing class sizes and other concerns, was allowed to speak at the weekend ceremony.

The teen, her family and supporters met with officials of the Accelerated School for two hours Friday but the matter remained unresolved, Ponce said. She prepared her speech, and school officials reviewed it Saturday morning before giving her the green light minutes before the ceremony.

“It meant a lot to me,” said Ponce, who is heading to UC Davis to study engineering in August. “All the seniors were supporting me, my parents were there supporting me, my teachers. . . . I was really happy.”

-- Seema Mehta