‘Adaptability and determination,’ Alta Vista seniors celebrate graduation

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As the members of Alta Vista High School’s Class of 2024 celebrated their graduation on Wednesday, June 5, they reflected on the challenges that they overcame to reach this point and the plans they have for their futures.

Alta Vista students, staff and families gathered in the school’s auditorium on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate this year’s graduates. The ceremony was a personal one, with staff members sharing remarks about each of the 20 students on stage before they received their diploma.

School board President Sanjay Dave addressed the graduates, praising them for taking advantage of the opportunities available to them at Alta Vista and wishing them success after high school.

“We gather here to honor a group of students who have shown remarkable resilience, adaptability and determination,” Dave said. “You have navigated a unique and challenging high school journey and we couldn’t be prouder of all you have accomplished.”

Alta Vista is an alternative school in the Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District, which students often transfer to when they are behind in the credits needed to graduate. Dave noted that some of this year’s graduates managed to accelerate their education at Alta Vista and graduate a year early.

Wednesday’s ceremony included speeches from two graduating seniors, who both spoke about the struggles they had faced, and the positive changes they saw once coming to Alta Vista.

Elianna Arroyo shared that when she started her freshman year at Gunn High School in Palo Alto, she found herself in a deep rut that she didn’t know how to get out of. Scared and overwhelmed, she fell behind in her classes and the situation got worse her sophomore year.

When she moved to Alta Vista, Arroyo said that at first, the transition was difficult. But as time went on, Arroyo realized she needed to change her habits to graduate. By taking advantage of the resources at her new school and asking for help, Arroyo started to excel in her classes and learned to advocate for herself.

“I finally built the academic confidence I felt I had been missing my whole life,” Arroyo said. “Throughout this journey, I learned that real change comes from within. No matter how much others had tried to motivate me, I had to find that drive within myself – and I did.”

Luis Briano Aleman, the second student speaker, spoke about his path to improving his mental health and well-being after a suicide attempt. Briano told the audience that he struggled with anxiety and depression and had hit the lowest point in his life.

As he began to heal, Briano said he focused on living in the moment, avoiding social media and those who were a negative influence on him, immersing himself in school work, going to the gym, and playing sports. At Alta Vista, he became more consistent in his studies and was able to graduate early. 

Though doubts can linger, Briano said that he no longer lets worries about acceptance and judgment affect him like they once did. While there will be ups and downs in life, he told his fellow graduates that they had come too far to quit.

“Thank you for listening to my story. I hope this serves as a reminder that no matter how dark the times may seem, there’s always a path to recovery and success,” he said. “Remember, you can’t pause time. The only thing you can do is live.”

Check out this year’s list of Alta Vista High School graduates and read our interview with Luis Briano Aleman, one of the graduating seniors.

For all of our graduation coverage, go to our central graduation page.