Laguna Beach holds graduation in Irvine Bowl for first time since 2019
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Laguna Beach High seniors and their families filed into the Irvine Bowl on Thursday evening for the commencement ceremony, providing a theatrical setting for a featured moment in their young lives.
The 2,600-seat amphitheater, situated on the grounds of the Festival of Arts, hosted the Laguna Beach Unified School District’s middle school promotion and high school graduation for the first time since 2019.
There had been much public debate over the decision to move the graduation from Guyer Field to the Irvine Bowl, including a late challenge in court — denied by U.S. District Judge Fred W. Slaughter on June 5 — to seek relief in the form of relocating the ceremony back to the high school stadium.
District officials, in a news release addressing the denial, said a survey was sent to graduating families to identify accessibility needs. Among the 265 responses, there were 83 requests for seating accommodations.
Students, clad in red caps and gowns, sat front and center to the stage, with assigned seating for family and friends throughout the rest of the venue.
Caitlin Brady, a United States history teacher at Laguna Beach High, gave the graduate address, pulling pages from her education mentors in her parting words to the seniors.
“No matter what you face on your journey through life, you will be the one you have to face at the end of the day,” Brady said. “You will be the only person who knows if you’ve lived in alignment with your values. Only you will know if you’ve been true to your word.
“So give yourself the gift of honor. Stay humble and open to learning, because you will never be fully arrived, and remember that you’ll never have it all, all at once. So try to stay present and appreciate what you have today.”
Isabella Badran sang the national anthem, Kaia Gamber led the Pledge of Allegiance and Meghan Manion was the senior speaker. Zachary Menter delivered the valedictory address.
Acting Supt. Manoj Roychowdhury, the assistant superintendent of business services, presented the Laguna Beach class of 2026. School Board President Sheri Morgan accepted the class.
