Ranging in age from 16 to 46, those in the graduating Class of 2026 at Arlington Community High School proved there was no single path to educational success.
“Every road led here,” Principal Jeannette Allen said at the graduation ceremony, held June 12 at Washington-Liberty High School.
“You’ve climbed every hill, pushed through every obstacle,” Allen told the 62 graduates.
The alternative high school is designed to meet students where they are — some seeking to earn a diploma as quickly as possible, others sometimes taking more than a decade to reach graduation as they juggle family life and work.
Many of the graduating seniors began as immigrants with little or no English-language skills. Several had their newborns with them as they crossed the stage to receive their diploma — one dressed just like his mom in a dark blue cap and gown.
“There’s always a path forward,” Superintendent Francisco Durán said at the ceremony. “It is never too late to learn, grow and achieve.”
Among those earning a diploma was Edwin Sibrian Menjivar. An immigrant, he had attended Washington-Liberty but dropped out because he needed a full-time job.
After passing through milestones of marriage and fatherhood, he turned to Arlington Community High School, working during the day and attending classes at night.
“I wanted a better future,” Sibrian Menjivar told those attending the ceremony. “There was sacrifice [but] my family believed in me.”
The school helps “create a second chance and open a door for people like me,” he said.
“Never tell yourself it’s too late,” he said. “It’s never too late.”
Another graduate, Grace Duran Velasquez, turned to Arlington Community High School in order to complete her final year of high school.
“It turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made,” she said. “It was a blessing.”
The new graduates have been prepared to face the next challenges, Duran Velasquez said.
“A fresh chapter is unfolding. We have proven we can finish what we start,” she said.
A number of graduates were saluted for earning college scholarships. In addition, Sheikh Rashid received the Presidential Award for Educational Excellence and Armory Mejia Vasquez received the Presidential Award for Educational Achievement.
Social studies teacher Tiffany Mitchell Patterson said small class sizes give instructors the opportunity to craft specialized plans to meet each student’s needs.
Getting to graduation day was a culmination of students’ efforts, she said.
“You know what it took. We know what it took. That drive, that hunger, that passion — hold onto that feeling,” Mitchell Patterson advised. “The sky is the limit.”
Brandon Campbell, who transferred from Wakefield High School for his senior year, said the individualized attention was what he needed to get to the finish line.
Teachers and staff “pushed me every day to keep moving forward,” he said.
Durán urged students to maintain that momentum.
“You are excellence,” he said. “Be bold, be courageous and claim your success.”
The near-record graduating class of 62 at the school was part of a group of more than 1,900 Arlington Public Schools seniors who crossed graduation stages in ceremonies running from June 5-13.
All graduation ceremonies were livestreamed and archived, and can be viewed online.
