Thinking outside the box

Graduates speak of shedding insecurities, facing challenges ahead

Dan Ocampo / The Californian Maria Lopez, who was a speaker at her East Bakersfield High School graduation, was almost in tears as she told a story about a shy girl at the beginning of the school year who gradually "broke out of the box," excelled in school and made friends. Maria said, "That little girl was me."

Filed: June 8, 2001

By SILVIO J. PANTA
Californian staff writer
e-mail: spanta@bakersfield.com

It was a day to remember for more than 383 smiling graduates of East Bakersfield High School as they finished another stage of their academic careers Thursday and looked ahead to the future.

A throng of cheering relatives jammed the bleachers at Robert L. Wheeler Stadium, where they applauded for their favorite students during the festive event.

The Class of 2001 was complimented by several commencement speeches, one of which was delivered by 17-year-old Maria Lopez.

In her moving statement, Lopez, who won a full scholarship to University of California, Riverside and Cal State Bakersfield, spoke of a girl who fought against all odds to escape "the box" of her inhibitions and become a senior.

"She jumped out of the box," Lopez said. "Although she did not want to ... she had become an individual."

Lopez, who said she is the first member of her family to graduate high school, plans to enter UC Riverside as a pre-med student.

"I wanted to make my mom and dad proud," Lopez said before the ceremony. "I wanted to show everybody I could do it."

Other success stories included Carrie Chavez, 17, who worked to graduate while caring for her 2-year-old child, said her mother, Stella.

"This is quite an achievement for her," said Stella Chavez, who graduated from East Bakersfield High in 1972. "Raising a child on her own and going to commencement."

Antoinette Roberts was there to cheer her 17-year-old cousin, Selene Turner. Turner, Roberts said, plans to attend Bakersfield College.

"I'm glad she wants to continue and go to college," Roberts said of her cousin. "That was a good decision."

Graduating senior Jesse Martinez, 17, who plans to attend BC, reveled in the moment.

"I can't believe it's finally here," Martinez said. "It's a pretty good feeling. I hope I can make everyone proud."

Pride was exactly how campus security officer Ruben Salas felt as he shook the hands of nearly every graduating senior who passed his way on their way to ceremony.

"It's a great feeling," Salas said. "From a freshman to make it here now. They had to work hard to get where they're at ... they're like all my kids."