Amid the cheers, balloons, raucous horns, smiles and tears at the graduation ceremony of the Borrego Springs class of 2019, ran an underlying theme of gratitude and appreciation for the support, love and guidance our 33 Borrego Springs High School seniors have received from this community.

Speech after speech, words and emotions expressed this sentiment. Had you been a stranger to Borrego Springs during the graduation of the class two weeks ago, you would have been incredibly impressed with the humans who make up our small community and who produce and help to create such kind and empathetic young people.

Andrea Taylor, community member and creator/advisor of the high school's Dream Club, proudly served as the Guest Speaker at the request of the graduating class.

Valedictorian Vanessa Rodarte, and Co-Salutatorian Gabriela Rocha, spoke effervescently of the gratitude they feel towards their parents and extended families who chose to relocate to Borrego Springs years ago for work and to raise their families.

Their feelings about our community were echoed by student after student in the "Conferring of Honors," as they extolled the virtues of living in such a small and supportive community where classmates have been friends with one another since pre-school. Families attending the graduation were not there only for their child, but for cousins, for next-door neighbors, for nieces, nephews, for best friends' children, for godchildren. Every graduating senior had an entire gym of friends and family applauding them on with cheers and love.

Gratitude for a caring school staff including teachers, coaches, principal, secretaries and counselor was gushing, sincere and heart-felt. Our students realize and appreciate the folks who goad them, encourage them, counsel them, humor them and direct them to their next step in their education.

Next steps for about a third of our graduates will be university and college. Another third will head off to community colleges and a final third to vocational schools.

Our Borrego Springs Village is over-flowing with successful lives.

Full story in the June 27 issue of the Borrego Sun.