The campus of La Jolla High School filled with families, faculty and graduates as more than 280 seniors crossed onto the football field at Gene Edwards Stadium for commencement on May 28. Dressed in traditional black gowns, the Class of 2026 gathered at the second-oldest campus in the San Diego Unified School District for an afternoon of music, speeches and community recognition.
The ceremony opened after a performance of the national anthem by the LJHS Band and Orchestra. Principal Charles Podhorsky, Ed.D. then welcomed the audience and reflected on the class’s accomplishments, noting that the past four years had been a deep source of pride for staff and teachers who watched students thrive academically, artistically and athletically.
Student leaders and academic pathways
The event showcased the school’s academic culture through remarks from the class’s top graduates. Valedictorian Denver Harris, identifiable in a red robe, emphasized that his success was not solitary but rooted in the support network of friends who helped him navigate high school challenges. He urged peers to value community as well as effort, saying hard work paired with reliable friends made achievements possible.
Harris praised the school’s distinctive biomed program—the only one of its kind in the district—and recommended students take classes with teachers who make difficult subjects engaging, singling out Ms. Lobato for making science accessible. Harris plans to attend UCLA to double major in math and biology with a pre-med focus.
Salutatorian perspective and balance
Salutatorian Maggie Hou described a deliberate strategy of enrolling in weighted and college-level courses while preserving creative outlets like sports photography and ceramics. She credited enjoyment of learning and a strong circle of friends for helping her maintain balance through an intense schedule. Hou will row at the Division I level at UCLA and intends to study biology with long-term plans for medical school.
Voices from the stage: music, speeches and defining moments
Musical offerings included a senior rendition of “The Climb,” performed by seniors Caroline Gamez and Mee Muldoon with keyboard accompaniment. Student speakers contributed a range of reflections. Among them, Mia Rees-Gomez urged classmates to recognize that a single ceremony is not the true measure of success; rather, she framed a graduate’s real achievement as the life and choices built after graduation, a concept she described as each person’s authentic moment.
Other speakers—Allison Hawthorne and Rex Mehran—shared personal stories and encouragement. Their remarks combined gratitude for teachers and peers with reminders to treat setbacks as part of the learning journey. These speeches emphasized resilience and intentional decision-making as tools graduates can carry forward.
Recognition of staff and community
Principal Podhorsky took time to thank the broad team that supports school life, from classroom teachers to custodial staff and the technical crew managing sound for the ceremony. The assembled crowd offered a special farewell to Holly Eaton, a teacher retiring after more than three decades at La Jolla High, acknowledging her long service and the generations of students she taught.
Board Trustee Cody Petterson delivered the reception address, urging graduates to preserve a sense of what he called the “ultimate things” amid life’s distractions. He invoked the idea that family, teachers and community hand the world to the young adults assembled and encouraged them to accept that responsibility as they transition into adulthood.
Tradition, transition and celebration
La Jolla High School, which opened in 1922 and has been recognized as a California Distinguished School, also earned the distinction of being the first school west of the Mississippi to host a chapter of the Cum Laude Society. Those institutional honors were woven into the commencement messaging as reminders of the school’s long history of academic and extracurricular engagement.
The ceremony concluded with the signature moment of tossing graduation caps into the air as graduates celebrated the end of formal high school and the beginning of new pursuits. Families, friends and faculty shared applause and well-wishes as the Class of 2026 prepared for college, careers and other next steps. Congratulations to the graduates—Go Vikes!