All 401 Park City seniors graduated this year and attended the Friday evening commencement.
During the ceremony, retiring Principal Roger Arbabi shared the seniors’ accomplishments: 95% of the graduating class took college-level classes and 85% are headed to higher education, attending 112 different universities in 33 states and four countries. Those students also received $15 million in scholarships.
About 17% of the class of 2025 are first-generation students, including Gabe Villanueva. Villanueva and his Latinos in Action co-president Amy Nava gave speeches during the graduation, alternating between English and Spanish.
The pair said school programs for first-generation and Latino students changed their lives.
Villanueva said his dad is from Mexico and his mom is from Guatemala. Like many immigrants, he said they came to the U.S. for opportunity. And when the family left Phoenix for Park City when Villanueva was six years old, they found it.
The Park City School District in particular provided opportunities for advancement, academic help and support for life after high school. Villanueva said he participated in the Dream Big, Latinos in Action and Bright Futures programs.
“They serve different purposes, but the goal is common between all of them, in that they'll share the goal of helping first-gen students,” he said.
Dream Big focuses on first-generation students. Through the program, kids get academic support for college-level classes and complete summer coursework.
Latinos in Action also helps students prepare for college, but it's also meant to teach students about leadership and community service. Villanueva was the co-president during his senior year and said he was involved in various service projects, including a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and a drive to give out teacher appreciation gifts.
“It helps everyone develop their character, build confidence and many skills, whether that's soft or hard skills, communication, leadership, collaboration, things like that,” Villanueva said. “That sort of development is critical, not only for high school students, but to kind of build that foundation for what comes after.”
Bright Futures is more focused on preparing students for college and provides individualized coaching, peer support, and financial education and assistance. That support continues until students graduate college.
Villanueva plans to study computer engineering at the University of Utah in the fall. He said he loves the innovation and tech aspects of the field, but also plans to work with drones.
He already got a start with drones at Park City High through three Career and Technical Education classes.
“I was a guinea pig, if you will,” Villanueva said. “They were introduced each year that I was here at the high school. It was very fun.”
The first drone class helps students obtain a license to operate drones commercially. Villaneuva said that could be for things like real estate and aerial photography. The next class involves building drones and learning the ins and outs of the hardware.
Finally, Villaneuva participated in the Park City Centers for Advanced Professional Studies, or PCCAPS, program. There, he got first-hand experience working with a drone commercially.
While Villanueva will head to Salt Lake City for school, he thinks he’ll return to Park City — the place he now considers his hometown.
