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The members of Los Altos High School’s Class of 2025 have many individual accomplishments, but senior Thomas Chang told the crowd at Friday’s graduation ceremony that what stood out more to him were the intangible moments that his classmates shared together.
“It’s not about what we did, but how you made someone feel – inviting a stranger to sit with you at lunch, comforting someone after a rough test, cheering on a friend at a performance,” Chang said.
Chang and his classmate Joselyn Munguia Alvarado served as the hosts for Los Altos High School’s commencement ceremony on June 6, in which over 500 graduating seniors received their diplomas in front of a packed crowd of family and friends on the school’s football field.
Munguia Alvarado told her fellow graduates that the two words that stood out to her about the Class of 2025 were independence and resilience, both of which she said would serve them well as they navigate the path forward.
“From here, we get to write our own stories. Not perfectly, not all at once, but courageously,” she said. “No matter what we do or what we face, we have already proven that we are ready.”
Graduates toss their caps in the air. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Graduate Sophia Diaz hugs her cousin after the ceremony. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Faculty members high five graduates as they make their way to the field. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
MVLA school board member Thida Cornes gives a graduate their diploma. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Graduates prepare to receive their diplomas. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Audience members applaud the graduates. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Graduates applaud for their classmates. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Graduate Danna Ruano hugs family members after the ceremony. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Graduate Danna Ruano poses for photos with family members. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Tre Viguerie, right, hugs one of his classmates. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Joselyn Munguia Alvarado talks to family on the phone after the ceremony. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney.
When it was Principal Tracey Runeare’s turn to address the graduates, her focus was on gratitude – both the gratitude she felt for being their principal and the gratitude she hoped they would carry forward throughout their lives.
“Of course, we hope you have gratitude for the excellent education you received and the friends you made at Los Altos. But more than that, we want you to bring the ability to recognize and name gratitude with you wherever you go,” Runeare said.
Runeare was joined at Friday’s ceremony by district Superintendent Eric Volta, Associate Superintendent Leyla Benson, school board President Esmeralda Ortiz, and board members Thida Cornes and Catherine Vonnegut.
Francis Ruan served as the night’s main student speaker, telling the crowd about how, despite a history of pulling various pranks, he was chosen to address the graduating class. Los Altos High School, Ruan said, is a place where people are able to change, grow and become someone new. He urged his classmates not to delay joy until some later date, but rather find it in the small moments.
Friday’s ceremony also included various musical elements, with students performing “America the Beautiful,” as well as “Like an Eagle” and “For Good,” from Wicked.
“I believe that the end goal every day should be happiness,” Ruan said. “I know, at a school like ours, it’s easy to be consumed by work, to treat it like one big plate that needs to be cleared. But even among our busiest meals, we should make room for dessert.”
Check out this year’s list of Los Altos High School graduates and read our interview with Brisa Garcia Perez, one of the graduating seniors.
For all of our graduation coverage, go to our central graduation page.
