ON MAY 30, THE TRADITIONAL Camino gate, built on the historic path of St. Junípero Serra, opened to allow passage for JSerra’s 283 graduating seniors. Four years earlier, this class had passed through the same gate, marking the beginning of their high school journey. Now, as they took their next big step, more than 2,000 family members and friends applauded beneath the bright blue San Juan Capistrano sky.
PHOTOS BY IAN TRAN/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
Graduations are occasions for both reflection and anticipation. In his final message to the Class of 2026, JSerra president Richard Meyer chose not to focus on achievements, recognitions or honors, but instead on friendship. Drawing from J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece, “The Lord of the Rings,” he challenged students to “be a Sam,” Frodo’s most loyal friend, and embrace the transformative power of friendship.
“Do you want that kind of friend in your life?” Meyer asked, “Someone who, without knowing how to swim and regardless of how deep the waters are, would jump in to journey with you during your most difficult and challenging time? Are you the kind of woman or man who instinctively puts the good of others before yourself? If you try to be a Sam in this world, you will necessarily grow in all the beautiful virtues that help you become the kind of person God created you to be.”
Whether intentional or not, Valedictorian Jackson Story also echoed the theme of friendship. Quoting actor Brad Pitt’s remarks at the 2023 César Awards honoring David Fincher, Story said: “I don’t know if any of what we do matters in the end. What I do know that matters are the people we hitch ourselves to and the indelible mark they leave upon our very being.”
Story added, “When I think about what I’ll actually remember from high school, I don’t think it will be the test scores, GPAs or the stress of doing assignments last minute. What we’ll remember are the people.”
Several students were recognized with special awards, including salutatorian George Joseph; the Msgr. Martin Award went to Natalie Myers; the Reese Imhoff Faith Over Fear Award was presented to Andrew Yeager; and the Lion Award to Otto Graham. The Senior Faculty Awards went to Kaylah Tasser and Rocco Tompkins; the Senior Scholar Athlete Award to Minha Chung and Jackson Story; and the Senior Christian Service Award went to Karina Cabral.
After this last celebration, most of the graduates will head to prestigious four-year universities across the country. Some will remain lifelong friends; others will never cross paths again, but as Jackson Story pointed out, “If the last four years taught us anything, it’s that maybe the destination was never the most important part. It was the company. Congratulations, Class of 2026, we made it!”