By Aidan Mortensen | KOAL News
Forty-one students crossed the stage on Thursday, May 21, as Pinnacle Canyon Academy hosted its annual commencement ceremony for the class of 2026.
Kicking off the affair was Dominick Vigil, who welcomed attendees to the ceremony, referring to graduation as “the celebration of years of hard work, growth, friendship, and memories that will carry on for the rest of our lives.”
“To the graduates, congratulations! Every late night, every challenge and every success have led up to this moment. We also want to thank the parents, the families, teachers, and staff who supported us along the way. Your encouragement helped us make this achievement possible. As we celebrate tonight, let’s remember not only what we accomplished, but the people and experiences that shaped us.”
Moving to the speakers, the first to the podium was Student Body President Diego Contreras. Contreras didn’t deliver a typical graduation speech; instead, he went through the entire graduating class, naming things he will remember about each of them as they move to the next steps of their lives.
Next, the audience heard the first of two valedictory addresses, delivered by Kyson Sayre. “I came to Pinnacle, and y’all were so welcoming. I made friends on day one … The teachers actually cared. My classmates actually made it fun to be here. After a while, I stopped thinking of this space as just a school. It became a community, an Independent family, and I felt as if I belonged somewhere again.”
He continued,” What I’ve learned is that a comeback is always possible. The turnaround is always available to you. You just have to be willing to show up, even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard. You don’t have to be perfect; you just have to be consistent.”
Rounding out the speakers, attendees heard from Taya Guymon. “Standing here today. I’m looking right out at a room full of incredible potential, but I also see a lot of different interactions. Some of us already have the next four years mapped out and are setting off to college. Others are diving straight into the workforce or the military. And let’s be honest, some of us are still figuring out exactly what we want to do with our future. And you know what that is completely okay?”
Guymon elaborated: “The beauty of this moment isn’t that we all have the answers. It’s that we all have the opportunity to find that … High school was a chapter, but it is not the whole story. Now, it is time to take a step forward. It is time to move into our futures, wherever that journey takes us. Let’s take risks, make mistakes, and build lives that we are proud of. Congratulations, class of 2026, we did it.”
Castle Country Radio would like to congratulate the Pinnacle Canyon Academy class of 2026 and wish them good luck on their next adventures.