Beginning a new chapter

Molly Shore

The Meythaler family added another chapter to its family history when

Kristen Meythaler, 18, became part of a third generation to graduate

from Burbank High School.

Meythaler is one of 567 seniors of the Class of 2003. Her mother,

Laurie, graduated in 1979 and grandparents Tom and Bonnie Winning

were in the classes of 1956 and 1959.

“I’m going to cry,” Laurie Meythaler said. “This is very

exciting.”

Rounding out the family gathering at Friday evening’s commencement

exercises at the Starlight Bowl were dad Joe Meythaler and his

parents, Shirley and Howard Meythaler.

Tasha Foschetti, 17 said she is closing one chapter in her life

and beginning a new one.

Influenced by faculty members Wendy Miller, Dave Thompson and

Richard Sarquiz, Tasha said she will enter Cal State Northridge in

the fall to study for her teaching credentials.

“They made school fun, and it inspired me to want to make a change

in peoples’ lives,” Tasha said.

Senior speaker Jill Hensiek recalled the 800 days of high school,

beginning in September 1999.

“This is the one day we will never forget -- June 20, 2003, our

high school graduation,” Hensiek said.

Andy Wilcox spoke of the tremendous changes happening in the world

during their four years of high school.

Corporate fraud, a $35-billion state debt eroding education and

welfare programs, and a desperate yearning for global peace have all

happened in a short period.

“It’s a world vastly different than the world we knew four years

ago,” Wilcox said.

Wilcox encouraged classmates to help make Earth a better place.

With the highest grade-point average, Aleksey Pesterev is this

year’s valedictorian, and Ara Abrahamian is the class salutatorian,

receiving the second-highest GPA.