Costa Mesa High’s Class of ’22 credits success to resilience honed by adversity
Reflecting fondly on the past four years, and the many challenges overcome along the way, Costa Mesa High School graduating seniors bid a fond farewell Thursday to their alma mater and looked confidently ahead to the future.
A group of 269 graduates seated in socially distanced chairs, a vestige of the coronavirus pandemic that upset their high school careers midstream, spent their last high school moment together on Mustangs Field. They are the 60th class to matriculate from the Costa Mesa campus.
“The last three years have not been easy, and you have achieved in the most difficult of times, academically, athletically, in the arts and socially,” Principal Jake Haley said in opening remarks.
“Each and every member of this graduating class has earned the right to be recognized and congratulated for their unique accomplishments, contributions and honors.”
Associated Student Body President Gabrielle Hayes recalled how life came crashing to a halt during sophomore year, only to resume later in an online format. Making up for lost time, seniors eagerly returned to campus for one last hurrah.
“When I think of Mesa, I think of the community we created,” Hayes said. “We all truly bleed green.”
Senior Class President Emiko Grun enlightened classmates on what a favorite ice cream flavors might say about a person’s appetite for grace, resilience and capacity for wonder, while Spanish teacher Thao Nguyen encouraged students to have confidence and learn from adversity.
Haley, who leaves Costa Mesa High to assume a principal vacancy at Corona del Mar High left by Josh Hill, congratulated his final group of Mustang graduates.
“The best is yet to come — we are all so proud of you,” he said. “Thank you for the last four years from the bottom of my heart.”
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