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South Summit High School seniors became alumni May 21. They filed onto the football field for the graduation ceremony: boys wearing green gowns and girls in white, carrying red roses.
Many graduated with honors and earned scholarships totaling $3.7 million.
Their excitement was palpable as they took their seats, each looking up to the stands, searching for family and friends.
The intimate ceremony was marked by a theme: unity.
Ryan Rowser, the first student speaker, chose to discuss the division and polarization the U.S. has experienced in recent years. He said while some people see others only by what divides them — Democrat vs. Republican, or Oakley resident versus Francis — he sees a unified people.
“I see friends, families, people that I might not even know, who deserve kindness and respect,” Rowser said. “Speaking to all of you tonight, I see one community of Kamas Valley full of support for one another.”
Graduate Melany Campos-Juárez continued that tone. She began by discussing the years the Class of 2026 has spent together, many from Kindergarten through senior year.
She then dedicated part of the address to her heroes: her mom and dad, who had no idea she would speak at the event. Fighting back tears, Campos-Juárez said many blessings she’s had in her life are due to sacrifices in theirs.
“My mom and dad gave up their entire lives 24 years ago, coming to a country with nothing to grant my siblings and I a better life,” she said. “My parents were never given the opportunities that have been given [to me] because they gave up on their own dreams, so I was able to live mine.”
Campos-Juárez spoke in both English and Spanish and addressed all the immigrant parents in the audience, thanking them too for their sacrifices.
Aaron Chandler shared similar feelings, first celebrating his classmates’ accomplishments.
“Not only are we the smartest class with the best ACT scores, we are also achievers,” he said. “To name a few, in this class we have an all-American wrestler, a model, a licensed pilot, and the youngest EMT in South Summit Fire District.”
Chandler also told his fellow students they had a big impact on who he has become.
As they live in a relatively small town, he said he’s excited for some of their paths to cross again, even if things won’t be the same as when the class walked South Summit’s halls together each day or gathered on the football field for Thursday’s celebration.
But he won’t forget the memories they’ve made.
