255 graduates were honored Thursday night at the Castaic High School commencement ceremony at Cougar Stadium at College of the Canyons.

Castaic High School principal Ben Wobrock began the ceremony, thanking the families and esteemed guests for coming to celebrate the Castaic Class of 2026 graduates. He highlighted courage as one of the core qualities that define a Castaic High School student and celebrated the hard work and challenges they endured during four years in high school.

“As you leave Castaic High School, the world will not ask whether you are perfect; it will ask whether you are willing to try to lead, to persevere, and to stand up for what is right. So I implore you, have the courage to pursue your dreams, even when others doubt you,” said Wobrock.

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Next, Class of 2026 graduate Azul Mancilla-Baez presented her speech to her fellow classmates as they reflect on their time at high school and take those memories with them as they move onto the next chapter.

“It was never just about finishing school, it was about everything we became while we were here, and now we leave it behind, not as something we’re losing, but as something that became part of us, and we take that with us through the last time we gather all at once into whatever comes next, where almost becomes a distant memory and entirely leads us into the future,” spoke Baez.

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Following Baez’s speech was the passing of the torch of ASB president Claire Angles to the 2027 ASB president.

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David Delgado presented the Guiding Howl Award that is given by the graduating class to acknowledge a teacher who made a major impact in their lives.

“Over the past four years, we learned from this person not just the complexities of language, but how to think critically and express ourselves more clearly, lessons that will stay with us far beyond high school,” said Delgado.

The award was given to English teacher Eve Itaya, accepting the award with tears in her eyes as she is also closing out her 35-year career as a teacher.

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Andre Morales reads his poem entitled “A Coyote’s Legacy” that asked the graduating class, ”What does it mean to be a coyote?”

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“And now, from the echoes of the ghost of old, before its new stories, new legends to be told, and in that same spirit, we are here not just to follow their path, but to stand taller, to dream further, and to carry their vision into places they never dared to reach before,” exclaimed Morales.

The Castaic High School concert choir performed “From Now On” by Hugh Jackman from the film “The Greatest Showman”.

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Before diplomas were passed out, Superintendent of the William S. Hart Union High School District Dr. Michael Vierra, along with Cherise Moore and Dr. Aakash Ahuja, granted the diplomas for the Castaic High School graduating class. 

The graduates then made their way to the stage to accept their diplomas, waving to their families and embracing their friends as they passed. Lastly, they moved their tassels to the right and ended the commencement with grad caps flying high.

Alexandra Ines | KHTS Radio

Alexandra Ines | KHTS Radio

Alexandra Ines | KHTS Radio

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