Against the breathtaking backdrop of the purple and pink Santa Rosa Mountains, our high school seniors celebrated their accomplishments over the past 14 years as many shed tears and hundreds of family members and friends came to support and congratulate them.

If one theme emerged from the evening, it was gratitude – gratitude for family, friends and community. Gratitude for the on-going support and love this community shares with its young people. As speaker Martha Deichler stressed, "In Borrego Springs you are loved and nurtured by many, not only your parents."

The evening was punctuated by rounds of laughter as Valedictorian and Miss Borrego, Natalia Carmona, began her speech by thanking Ramona Physical Therapy for making it possible for her to be able to stand in heels and deliver her speech after a rather serious softball injury months ago. Natalia went on to remember her favorite moments in high school and to thank so many she has known in Borrego since pre-school. She will be attending UCSD and studying to become an obstetrician-gynecologist.

Salutatorian, David Hernandez, echoed Natalia's sentiment about gratitude to family and friends and he personally thanked teachers who make the long commute daily to teach in Borrego Springs. David challenged his peers when making a career choice to, "...tell your own story, make the best of it and take advantage of your time here." David will be attending UC Santa Barbara and majoring in biology with a goal of becoming a dermatologist.

All 31 seniors received their diplomas, with one missing the ceremony due to surgery. Twenty-two of the students have attended Borrego Springs Unified School District since pre-school, which explains the tight bond they have with one another. It must be noted however, that students who arrived along the way at BSUSD have been welcomed and accepted by all students. This is one thing that makes BSHS so special.

To assist them in achieving these educational goals and dreams, Natalia, David and 18 of their peers received multiple scholarships totaling over $80,000.

These came from Borrego Art Guild, BASIC, Rotary, Weil Family, Soroptimists, American Legion, Race Across America, and Lindberg.

Teacher and guest speaker, Francisco Ramirez, challenged his students to be brave as they move through life, knowing that some decisions are really difficult to make. He urged them to get outside their comfort zone and do things they'd never thought they could do. Quoting Mandela, Francisco told them, "May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears."

This confident and motivated group of young people already appear focused and undaunted as they take on a new chapter in their lives. We wish them success and we also hope that they will return to Borrego Springs to live, work and raise a family.