The starry-eyed young adults were hungry for life, independence, and most of all: breakfast.
This wasn’t quite the important graduation day, instead this was the most important meal of the day — with French toast, fruit salad, burritos, beans and so forth. In an annual tradition for the graduating class, the school was treating the seniors to a catered breakfast to congratulate them for four years of hard work. They come for the breakfast, they have to stay for the graduation rehearsal, said Counselor Mandi Robertson with a smile.
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Community colleges, such as College of San Mateo, seem to be the popular choice for students still in an exploratory phase. Senior Jessica Ramirez said she probably would go to community college, although she was interested in taking a long break.
“I’m just happy to get out of here. Toward the end high school was such a struggle,” she said.
On the South Coast, Pescadero High School had it largest class in years — 32 students. Principal Amy Wooliever said about half of the graduating class plans on going to community colleges, with some opting for two-year college even though they were accepted to a university. Only three students plan to go directly to work. Half Moon Bay High has not finished tabulating plans for their graduates yet.
Senior Jenny Steger says she’s concerned about the bad economy as she heads to Brown University. An academic heavyweight at the high school, Steger already has big plans to study geology, take a second major and then go on to graduate school. Or maybe medical school, she added.
“I’m hoping my grades in college will get me a scholarship,” she said, explaining that studying geology would give her an advantage because it wasn’t a popular department for undergrads.
Sitting near Steger at the school cafeteria tables, senior Michael Wright said he wanted to pursue the law school route after graduating from University of California, Berkeley. The economy should improve by then, he explained.
Many other students were less self-assured in their long-term plans. Seniors were torn between sentimentality and impatience, a feeling that more than one graduate described as “bittersweet.”
“It’s really nice here -- we have the coast, we have beautiful beaches,” said Taylor Gore, a senior who said he’d miss the shore when he heads to the Air Force Academy in Colorado.
Gore said he enrolled in the Air Force hoping to be a pilot. He was even starting early, having just earned his pilot’s license on Monday after taking lessons over in San Carlos.
“Doesn’t everyone joining the Air Force want to be a pilot?” he said. “Going to the academy, it was my first choice … but now I’m always going to have someone telling me what to do.”
Dozens of students last week staged their annual prank on the school, camping overnight with tents in the middle of the school quad. Police arrived and saw the students weren’t rowdy or drunk, and they were allowed the stay the night.
School officials say previous senior pranks were far worse. Porta-Potties were dragged into the quad one year, and another time someone ruined the locks with glue.
The high school students aren’t the only ones leaving the campus. Assistant Principal Tina Van Raaphorst announced recently that she would be leaving the high school to take a principal position at a Pacifica middle school.
“I feel like I’m graduating with them, moving onto the next phase of my career,” Raaphorst said.
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