The Class of 2020 may not have been able to be physically together for their commencement ceremony on June 6, but they were together in one very significant way: 100% of Gateway High’s Senior Class graduated this year, a remarkable achievement for a student cohort that has faced more than its fair share of challenges in the past several months.
“The second half of this year has been incredibly challenging,” said GHS Principal Tony Rodgers. “The very nature of our senior class, coupled with the diligent effort of their teachers, created a melange of dedication, support, and excellence that allowed 100% of them to successfully complete high school. We are extremely proud of them.”
98% of GHS grads plan on entering college as freshman in the fall at either a two or four-year university. Gateway will be represented at some of the most prestigious institutions in the world, including schools like UC Berkeley, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Wesleyan, and the Berklee College of Music.
Thirty-three percent of Gateway’s college-bound grads will be the first in their family to attend college, and 68% will be receiving some form of financial aid to support their education.
Students and their families celebrated their accomplishments along with faculty at a virtual commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 8. Seniors Vivian Redmond and Michael Daniel delivered Student Perspective addresses to the class, and Jeff Sprague, Humanities Teacher & Instructional Leader, addressed the graduates on behalf of the faculty. Senior Awards were bestowed as follows:
High Academic Honor - Shawn Wang
Highest Academic Honor - Vivian Redmond
Respect for Differences Mission Award - Masiyah Edwards
Model of Integrity Mission Award - Michael Daniel
Service to Community Mission Award - Jesse Luna-Abrams
Shared Responsibility for Learning Award - Caroline Leon
The Sharon Olken Mission Award - Nuzhat Shaikh
In addition, the Gateway Founders Scholarship was awarded to Barbara Marrero.
GHS’ 100% graduation rate continues to outpace the state of California, where only 83% of seniors receive a diploma each year on average.