Ripona Elementary School Principal Dante Alvarez was joined by School District Trustee Christina Orlando in handing out diplomas to the 19 members of the eighth grade class.

Class president Felicia Miller welcomed parents, friends and guests to the event held in the school’s multi-use room.

Trustee awards were handed out by school board member Christina Orlando and citizenship awards were presented by Principal Dante Alvarez.  Ripon High grads – Ripona alumni – were honored from the audience.  They were Megan Shaw and Jared Andrews of the RHS Class of 2015.

The students receiving the coveted Trustee Awards were Mia Alyse Damiano Benzinger, Felicia Paige Miller and Thomas Mark Mulder.  Receiving the Citizenship Awards were Cesar Aguilar Torres and Sophia Alexia Shaw.  

The remaining members of the class included Kaitlyn Megan Avila, Sam Brown, Philip T. Carlson, Philip D ‘Angelo, Tyler David Escobar, Ramon Martinez, Fernando Jacob Medeiros, Elysia Luz Maria Medina, Austin Michael Nguyen, Amairan Quintero Ayon, Yajaira Quintero Martinez, Alexis Page Ramirez, Jordan William Matthew Rocha and Tyler John Winter.

The recessional marched to the lyrics of “Celebration.”

The Class Motto: “Nothing we do can change the past.  Everything we do `changes the future.”  ….  By Ashleigh Brilliant, author, cartoonist.