The talents and accomplishments of Ramona High School’s Class of 2025 graduates were showcased at their June 5 commencement ceremony.
At the start of the event at the school’s stadium on Hanson Lane, the musical skills of graduate Tyler Henshaw were spotlighted as he performed the National Anthem on his electric guitar.
“I was so excited because it’s the largest crowd I’ve ever had an opportunity to play in front of,” said Henshaw.
The 17-year-old also played the National Anthem April 17 at Petco Park when Ramona High’s varsity baseball team beat Valley Center 1-0.
Henshaw said he’s been playing the guitar since he was in sixth grade.
“I play the guitar because it is an outlet for me to express my emotions and music is my life,” said Henshaw, who plans to major in welding at Palomar College in the fall so he can have a career in underwater welding or pipe fitting.
The successes of Ramona High’s athletes were highlighted during the ceremony by retiring Principal Antoinette Rodriguez. Girls volleyball and girls tennis teams had a winning season and boys water polo and boys basketball teams were competitive. The boys wrestling team was league champion and the girls wrestling and girls water polo teams won CIF Division 3 championships, Rodriguez said.
Additionally, the swim and drive teams were both league champions and the baseball team made history as CIF champions, she said.
Behind the scenes, graduates such as Lily Memmel, 17, were making memories for their classmates. Memmel was editor in chief of the yearbook.
“One of my favorite memories was seeing the looks on everybody’s faces when they got their yearbooks,” she said.
Her other favorite memories were running track and jumping hurdles with her friends, she said.
Next, Memmel will be studying cinema and television arts at Cal State University Northridge with the goal of becoming a film editor.
“I’m very excited because I’ll be dorming in college with my best friend, Eden Schondel,” Memmel said.
Schondel, 18, said she’ll be studying journalism at Northridge to be a magazine editor or other professional in the publishing industry.
“I’m very excited to move onto the university and see the world,” she said.
Graduate Ricardo Dinero, 17, said he gained a sense of what to expect “in the real world” during his senior year and plans to learn the construction trade through an apprenticeship program.
“I’m happy and nervous at the same time about graduating,” Dinero said. “I don’t know what to expect in the future. I’m excited about what will happen on my journey in life.”
Dinero’s friend, Carlos Abarca, 18, said his best high school memories were hanging out with his friends and sharing off-campus adventures like dining at restaurants and shopping at the mall.
“I’m sad but I’m also happy about graduating because it’s the starting line of my life,” said Abarca, who plans to major in criminal justice at San Diego State University and then apply to become a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent.
Associated Student Body President Faith Walsh, 18, said she’ll miss her ASB activities like being an MC at school assemblies and connecting with other ASB , but she has good memories of meeting her best friends, Luca Casamassa and Dylan Kahle.
“I’m very excited to go off to college and experience the next chapter in my life,” said Walsh, who plans a double major in communications and criminology at Cal State University Long Beach. “I really want to be a private investigator and I want to work in social media for the National Football League.”
Walsh was the first speaker at the podium during commencement. She began by acknowledging the challenges many students faced — some without permanent homes, those who experienced the loss of loved ones and others who had stress and self-doubts.
“Some of us struggled just to show up,” Walsh said. “Behind the cap and gown is a story of resilience. We made it, although maybe not perfectly.”
Her advice for her graduating classmates was to slow down and enjoy the moment.
“Sometimes the best thing is to let go and enjoy the journey,” Walsh said. “To the families, thank you for loving and ing us. To the teachers, thank you for not giving up on us. To the class of 2025, thank you for the memories and here’s to the future.”
