CRESCENTA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL:’It’s liberating and exciting’

Members of the Crescenta Valley High School graduating class of 2007 walked toward Stengel Field, took their seats and eagerly waited to receive their diplomas during the school’s commencement ceremony on Wednesday.

“It’s surreal and I can’t believe it’s over,” said graduate Anna Benjamin, 17. “My high school years were the best years for me.”

As the graduates made their way to the field, family and friends shouted and waved. Some even stopped to give hugs and kisses.

Grace Joo, 17, was overwhelmed that she was graduating.

“It feels tingly,” she said. “Like, I can’t believe it. I’m really happy.”

Others were more eager about finally finishing high school.

“I’ve been waiting for four years for this day,” said 17-year-old Tricia Furginson.

Tricia, who will be attending Pasadena City College to study visual arts, had some advice for the graduating class.

“I would say go far in life, have fun, do what you want and not what people want you to do.”

About 680 students received their diplomas on Wednesday.

Glendale Unified School District Supt. Michael Escalante addressed the graduates and told them to remember their high school days in the years to come.

“We hope you will continue to work hard and continue to surround yourself with achievement,” he said. “It is our sincere hope that you look back at Crescenta Valley High School and keep it close to your hearts.”

Diane Lapostol came to see her son Luis earn his diploma. Lapostol, a teacher at La Crescenta Elementary School, noted that many of the graduates were her former students.

“I’m very proud,” she said. “It’s a nice group of kids.”

That group had its challenges in their final year.

In November, a meningitis scare at Crescenta Valley High School prompted Los Angeles County Public Health Department officials to set up clinics to administer antibiotics to nearly 3,000 students.

Graduate Ashley Insalaco contracted bacterial meningitis, an infection that attacks the lining of the brain and spinal cord. She fell into a coma but ultimately recovered, returning to school two months later.

Despite her absence, she made up the work after returning to school.

“I missed two months of school and I thought I couldn’t graduate,” the 17-year-old said.

Ashley is relieved to be graduating, she said. She plans to attend Glendale Community College.

Candy Hanable’s oldest son, Cody was also graduating. She was looking forward to seeing her youngest graduate in two years as well.

“It’s liberating,” Hanable said. “It’s liberating and exciting.”

THE CLASS OF 2007

Waleed Abdelghani; Armen Abnousi Condormans; Namet Abou-Chakra; Jad Aboudiab; Meghry Achekian; Max Ackerman; George Adrian; Shant Aghadjanian; Arda Aghyarian; Erin Aguilar; Nairy Aintablian; Nune Alaverdyan; Yervand Alexanian; Alice Algattas; Vartuhi Ambartsumov; Dvin Amirian; Edwin Amirian; Jesse An; Jason Anderson; Joshua Ando; Shant Aposhian; Pattil Arabian; Briana Armstrong; Caitlin Artis; Ani Artsvelyan; Gamer Asadurian; Melody Avakian; Ani Avakyan; Sharis Avanesian; Elias Aydin; Karine Ayrapetova.

Vahe Baban; Leah Bacino; Kenneth Badea; Jeannette Bae; Taleen Baghdadlian; Alexander Baghdasarian; Arpineh Bagramian; Carolann Baldridge; Nicholas Balina; Lauren Banuelos; Raymond Barajas Jr; Pierre Bardakjian; Melissa Barkley; Tristan Barner; Chandler Barnes; Autumn Bartholow; Christiana Bashian; Cameron Bateman; Ashley Baucham; Kody Bayman; David Becerra; Ingrid Beerer; Mesrop Bejanian; Ian Bell; Nicole Benadom; Frank Benitez; Ana Carolina Benjamin; Alex Beoto; Christopher Bergner; Tyler Biddle; Stephanie Biglarian; Sasha Bina; Christina Bircher; John Blaha; Austin Blaise; Michael Blong; Samuel Blum; Kristen Boccia; Kaylin Bordley; Raeanne Bowlin; Taleen Boyadjian; Sona Boyajyan; Lucie Brain; Ashton Broman; Kelsey Brumm; Andrew Bunn; Erin Bunting; Tory Bunting; Serena Burns; Nicholas Busta.

William Cabrera; Anthony Cabriales; Christopher Calhoun; Franklin Cantero; Andrew Carbajal; Olivia Cardona; Sara Carey; Keane Carrico; Richard Carroll; Astrid Castaneda; Jazzmine Castro; Chris Catalano; Lawrence Cecere; Au Jin Cha; Yoojin Chae; Ashlee Chan; Ju-Seon Chang; Nathaniel Chang; Yoon-Sik Chang; Yoseph Chang; Ryan Charlap; Lynn Charters; Derek Chavez; Ian Chessum; Nicole Chi; Christopher Childs; Danbee Cho; David Cho; Eun-Sang Cho.

Mike Cho; William Cho; Yoon Cho; Gilbert III Choakongkee; Cecilia Choi; Eun Bi Choi; Jin Hwan Choi; Andrew Chong; Kristine Chong; Jerrett Chow; Christina Chu; Kyung Jin Chu; Stara Chun; Annie Chung; Raymond Chung; Seung Won Chung; Blair Cisar; Jessica Cisar; Kenneth Clark; Christopher Clay; John Cody; Joseph Cody; Nathaniel Colligan; Christian Cooper; Thomas Corless; Ashley Corri; Daniel Costello; George Coutin; Christopher Craig; Lisa Cramoline; Meghan Curry.

Edward Dassian; Narbeh Davidian; Robin Davis;; Elizabeth De Jong; Kathryn De Jong; Emma Dearman; James Dee; Amanda Del Rio; Carissa Derksen; Tro Dersarkissian; Sarah Deunay; Oswaldo Rene Diaz Panting; Eric Dilanian; Vesselin Dimitrov; Victoria Ditmer; Kiara Donoso; Bailey Drucker; Seger Ducharme; Matthew Duncan; Micah Dunham; Ryan Dunning.

Preston Easley; Eric Eberhart; Aimee Edmonds; Eric Edwards; Amber Ehrlich; Brittany Ellis; Harry Elyassi; Michael Eman; Nayiri Emirzian; Dustin Emmons.

Matthew Faulkner; Natalie Feia; Lisa Fekete; Azniv Fernezlian; Aramazd Fidanian; Ashley Filipek; Lisa Finney; Ashley Fisher; Stacy Fogg; William Forgey; Amy Fram; Scott Francisco; Stephanie Fraser; Kristopher Frey; Keith Fries; Tricia Furginson.

Hratch Gagossian; Cory Galbraith; Artin Galoosian; Patrick Galstians; Erin Galt; Andrew Garcia; Noah Garcia; Amy Garland; James Garren; Shane Garside; Angeline Gasparian; John Gates; Clayton Geer; Patrik Geragossian; Katherine Gershik; Gohar Gevorkian; Shaunt Gharibian; Liouda Ghazarian; Liya Ghazarian; Megan Gilbaugh; Wyatt Given; Matthew Goldsworthy; Christiane Gomez; Joanne Gomez; Marisa Gonzales; Terra Gore; Allison Grant; Russell Gruener; Wilber Guardado; Virginia Gulesserian; Corey Gurley.

Seong Ha; Biayna Haftvani; Alex Haftvani; Howard Hakes; Sung Ju Han; Cody Hanable; Kevin Hand; Beya Hansen; Melissa Hansen; Bryan Harter; Arin Hartounian; Arin Hatoomian; Mason Hawthorne; Trevor Hayes; Andrew Hayhurst; Anna Heffner; Christine Heinrich-Josties; Crystal Herrera; Alex Herrington; Todd Hessick; Briana Hill; Joyce Ho; Sofiana Hoffman; Melody Holmes; Brandon Holz; Becky Homan; Frank Hong; Grace Hong; Justin Hong; Kyung Hong; Kayla Hornor; Kevin Hovsepian; Daniel Huddleston; Elizabeth Hueter-Willoughby; Christopher Hughes; Daniel Huh; Eric Hwang; Hyun Hwang; In Young Hwang; Leslie Hyun.

Hansel Ihn; Filip Iliev; Christine Imada; Ashley Insalaco; Beatrice Ionescu; Anahit Isayan; Kisa Ito.

Audrey Jacobson; Katherine Jacobson; Mazen Jahchan; Jae Won Jang; Desiree Jerez; Eun Sung Ji; William Johns; Amber Johnson; Brianna Johnson; Chelsea Johnson; Christopher Johnson; Enoch Joo; Grace Joo; Moses Jooharian; Tae Yang Joung; Brian Jung; Jin U Jung.

Eva Agnes Kaellen; Siriruk Kaewket; Rosemary Kahale; Tamar Kalfayan; Grace Kang; Janice Kang; Jennifer Kang; Ji Hye Kang; Na Kang; Ryan Kang; Ara Karamian; Meline Karapetian; Anastasia Karavellas; Samara Katten; Tanya Kaveh; Chahan Kazandjian; Michelle Kazman; Domonique Keil; Natalie Kelly; Cameron Kerley; Garni Keshesh Avanessian; Emil Keshishian; Astgik Khachatryan; Emma Khachikyan; Maria Khachmanian; Edwin Khudadian; David Khudaverdyan; Aaron Kim; Aaron Kim; Aimee Kim; Alexandre Kim; Brian Kim; Charlene Kim; Christopher Kim; Da Hee Kim; Da Kyoung Kim; Daniel Kim; David J. Kim; David Luiz Kim; Dennis Kim.

Dong Kim; Dong Ho Kim; Elizabeth Kim; Estelle Kim; Eun Jee Kim; Frank Kim; Grace Kim; Hak Sung Kim; Han Sang Kim; Hea Kim; Hye Min Kim; In Kim; Jasmine Kim; Jenny Kim; Jeong Soo Kim; Ji Hoon Kim; Jin Kim; Joyce Kim; Juliana Kim; Leonard Kim; Michael Kim; Min Won Kim; Minah Kim; Rafael Kim; Samuel Jin Kim; Samuel Kim; So-Ra Kim; Steven Kim; Susan Kim; Tae Yeon Kim; Tiago Kim; Yee Young Kim; Jennifer Kimbell; Arpine Kirakosian; Ashley Kirby; Thorpe Klumph IV; Jazmin Knobloch; Patrick Kocharians; Caitlin Kollgaard; Kathrine Konstantinidis; Jeff Kosztowny; Gohar Kotcharian; Ara Kourchians; Kameron Krise; Kenneth Kropff; Tyler Kuhn; Dam Bi Kwon.

Kathleen La Face; Tristan La Lone; Lenny Labastida; Brian Laguna; Jimmy Lam II; Jason Lamb; Alison Lancaster; Luis Lapostol; Evan Lasiewicz; Chelsea Lawrence; Benjamin Lee; Chang Lee; Christopher Lee; Irene Lee; Jee Lee; Jennifer Lee; John Lee; Jonathan Lee; Jonathan Sung Lee; Julian Lee; Karen Lee; Kevin Lee; Min Jae Lee; Nicolas Lee; Rachel Lee; Samuel Gil Lee; Samuel Lee; Sophia Lee; Steven Lee; Susan Lee; Susie Lee; Sylvia Lee; Tae Ho Lee; So Jung Lee; Yerang Lew; Collin Lievense; Joshua Lim; Taylor Livingston; Kananii Llera; Krystal Llera; Wallis Locke; John Loomis; Katherine Loomis; Sonia Lotfabadi; Alexa Lotito; Xue Qing Lu; Christopher Lymbertos.

Jacob Madrigal; Jonathon Mahler; Alexander Mahony; Anoush Malakian; Ara Malayan; Kayla Maldonado; Hovig Malian; Caleb Manchester; Seroj Mangassarian; Sona Manukyan; Narbe Mardirossian; Raffy Mardirossian; Kevin Markonich; Leanna Marsh; Maximilian Martin; Andrew Martinez; Armando Martinez; Heather Martinez; Jordan Masanque; Richelle Mascaro; Ashley Masters; Kurtis Matejka; Paruyr Matevosyan; David Mayes; Victoria Mc Auliffe; Jennifer McLean; Matthew McNamee.

Neel Mehta; Ryan Meinardus;Nicole Melkonian; Aram Melkonyan; Rachel Mendelsohn; Eduardo Mendoza; Gilbert Mendoza; Harmony Merloni; Melody Meserkhani; Michelle Metchikian; Robert Miller; Brian Min; Sa Rem Min; Arazin Minasian; Josue Miranda; Lusine Mirzakhanian; Aline Missakian; Ane Missakian; Jill Miyamoto; Sarah Mock; Mary Emily Moniz; Dylan Montes; Kevin Montiel; Caroline Moon; Esther Moon; Sung Woo Moon; Melania Moradian; Heber Moreira Jr; Paulyne Mousakhanian; Kristen Muche; Madisen Mudge; Editha Muradyan; Julia Muro; Montana Musso; Nicole Myers.

Sara Nabhan; Chad Nacapoy; Patricia Namkung; Nicole Navarro; Anna Nazaryan; Steve Nazlikian; Jamie Nehrenberg; Dustin Neil; Aaron Nelson; Christian Nelson; Christopher Nersesian; Dylan Newsom; Myra Nishizaki; Andrea Nolan; Grace Novelly; Danny Nunez.

Daniel Oh; Gene Oh; Juliette Ohan; Heather Ojeda; Krista Olive; John Oliver; Catherine O’Neill; David Orija; John Ossiff; Traci Ostrom.

Nicholas Padula; Un Kyu Paik; Melodee Pajela; Maria Pakhdikian; Nicholas Papalia; Edward Park; Eli Park; Hyung Park; Jane Park; Jeffrey Park; Jie-Hye Park; Joanne Park; Joon Young Park; Joseph Park; Justin Park; Mary Park; Min Sun Park; Samuel Park; Sara Park; Sarah Park; Soo Bin Park; Timothy Park; Young Park; Kyle Parrish; Garo Parseghian; Devanshi Patel; Philip Patterson; Christopher Payton; Jennifer Pereira; Timothy Peters; Arpi Pezeshkian; Justin Phillips; Sorin Piti; Shelby Pock; Nicole Podnek; Natalia Pogonat; Araksya Pogosyan; Kailey Pondella; Allison Porcell; Stephanie Porcell; Amy Pramuantong; Brendan Pratt; Justin Proffitt; Joshua Pruitt; Alex Puchniarz; Austin Puchniarz.

Corah Queen; Grecia Quintanilla-Soto; Raymond Quinto.

Douglas Raber; Tanya Ramos; Paul Rawlins; Keaton Ray; Neal Rea; Brent Reid; Brett Reinhard; Susanne Reininger; Christopher Reyes; Jessica Reyes; Lisa Rich; Lauren Rico; Benjamin Ritter; Anna Rivera; Molly Roach; Douglas Robbins; Amanda Rofloc; Juliana Roh; Yoon Roh; Michelle Romero; Danielle Rosas; Jade Rosenkranz; Gabrielle Rousey; Jessica Roxas; Quitos Ruiz; Kyle Ryan; Min A. Ryu.

Charles Sadler; Matthew Salgado; Natalie Salim; Talma Salmassi Arakelian; Ronald Santarsiero; Thomas Sauer; Kathryn Scavone; Stephanie Schafer; Lauren Schmidt; Erin Schwarz; Michelle Scott; Nicole Scott; Claire Scripter; Holly Shaftel; Edwin Shahnazari; Armen Shakhbazyan; Jacqueline Sheen; Charly Shelton; Lauren Shenian; Rebecca Shin; Christine Shirvanian; Aram Shoshanian; Pamela Sierra Riveros; Anthony Silverwood; Cameron Singleton; Peter Sloan.

Bridget Smith; Paige Smith; Alessandra Smythe; Ashley Snyder; Daniel Sohn; Alex Song; Brian Song; Sung Hyun Song; Keith Soto; Oriel South; Randall Sovereign; Antonio Sow; Carolyn Spencer; Berlyn Springer; Richard Steenken; Philip Stefun; Kirk Steinbacher; Amanda Stelter; Benjamin Stephens; Michelle Sterner; Michael Stobaugh; Lauren Stockly; Matthew Studebaker; Jennifer Suh; Sharon Suh; Min Soo Suk; Sara Sun; Ellen Surrey; Christie Swanson.

Daniel Tak; Ryon Tanara; Sarah Tannous; Lybov Tchougounova; Rebecca Terzian; Winston Thornbury; Tracy Tomsick; Arvin Torosian; Anna Torres; Nader Tossoun; Michael Totino; Savannah Trevino; Timothy Troutman; Alexandra Tunks; Alice Turshudjian.

Danny Ueo.

Bernardo Valadez; Jade Valenzuela; Emilio Vallejos-Baeza; Kristina Van Citters; Liz Vannarattanarat; Loosine Vartani Masihi; Adelina Vartanian; Annie Varvaryan; Emily Veeh; Daniel Vegerano; Michael Vena; Shane Vermillion; Eden Vogel; Lilyan Vosghanian.

Sabrina Walentynowicz; Julian Walker; Seth Walters; Michael Warr; Austin Watts; Joshua Weaver; Roman Weber; Jung Hee Wee; Catherine Wheat; Lauren White; Hannah Wilson; Junghee Won; Kelsey Wong; Ye Rhin Woo; Ryan Wood; Cassondra Woodburn; Michael Workman; Samantha Wright.

Allen Yagobian; Kohei Yamamoto; Hyung Yang; Jacklyn Yang; Joshua Yang; Gregory Yee; Narek Yegikyan; Jane Yeo; Edward Yi; Joanna Yim; Jae Yoo; Hosoo Yoon; Nicole Yoon; Ye Seul Youn; Young-Won Youn; Patrick Young; Sena Yu.x

Tamar Zarougian; Alex Zhao.