Courtesy of San Benito High School Superintendent Shawn Tennenbaum:
Dear San Benito High School Parents, Students and Community:
Next week, San Benito High School will proudly honor and celebrate the Class of 2020 during four days of commencement ceremonies in Andy Hardin Stadium. This year’s seniors are a special group that had an experience unlike any class before them, with the transition to distance learning as the result of a worldwide pandemic.
To our seniors, we are proud of your dedication and commitment both inside and outside the classroom. SBHS is a better place for you having been here.
Through it all, these seniors persevered and now are on the verge of earning a high school diploma and moving on to adulthood. Many will attend a two-year or four-year college, while others will enroll in a trade or technical school, serve their country in the military, or enter the workforce.
Whatever their chosen path, we will always remember and appreciate them.
To the 21 seniors who had four years of perfect attendance during high school and the more than 20 other seniors who had perfect attendance this school year: your persistence is impressive.
To the 104 seniors who earned more than $234,000 in scholarships this year: your hard work paid off, literally!
To our top 10 (actually 11, as there was a tie) seniors, who will be attending U.C. Santa Cruz, BYU, UCLA, U.C. Davis, Cal Lutheran, U.C. Irvine, Cal Poly, or De Anza College, we wish you the best of luck as you continue your pursuit of academic excellence.
To our senior scholar-athletes of the year, Audrey Armstrong and Kenneth Kleiwer, your ability to perform at a high level in athletics AND academics is inspiring.
To senior Alexandria Ramirez, who this year was the first SBHS student to raise a puppy for Guide Dogs For the Blind as an FFA project, you modeled patience and focus for students and staff.
To our 78 graduating AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) seniors, we saw you strive to go beyond the norm, challenge yourself academically, and exemplify a commitment to your education and your community.
To Giovanny Arenas, the graduating president of the Robotics Club, you leave behind a legacy of inclusion and innovation, helping the club more than quadruple in size during your four years and working with your advisor and fellow students to make PPE masks for frontline workers in the medical field during the pandemic.
To all of the seniors in the Class of 2020, as you walk across that graduation stage over the next week and join the ranks of San Benito High School alumni, we thank you, we will miss you, and we want you to always remember that every day is a great day to be a Baler!
Sincerely,
San Benito High School Superintendent Dr. Shawn Tennenbaum
