It was a small group of Vista High School students that took seats on the stage Wednesday night, May 27 – but a large audience filled the seats in the Escalon High School Performing Arts Center to see the culmination of their hard work.
Six of the seven Knights graduating were there in person, one was absent, and two others were just a little shy of earning their credits, but were expected to receive diplomas once all the credits were calculated during the final couple of days of school.
The ceremony, scheduled for 6 p.m., was about 10 minutes late in getting started, as there was an issue with getting a microphone to work. It never did sync up with the sound system, so speakers during the ceremony had to project their voices loudly from the stage to be heard.
“I have the honor of serving as principal of Vista High School,” Principal Gustavo Arzac said in welcoming the crowd, after the EHS band performed the processional as students, staff, administrators and the school board made their way to the stage. EHS senior Brenden Berchtold sang the National Anthem and those in attendance joined in the Pledge of Allegiance, with Arzac then introducing the staff at Vista High, the continuation high school for the Escalon Unified School District. Arzac is a teaching principal and other teachers on staff are Nate Bartelink and Martin Louro, along with counselor Gustavo Jimenez and secretary Theresa Augusto.
“Your presence here tonight is a true testament to the love and support and encouragement you’ve provided to these graduates along the way,” Arzac said. “Without you, this moment today would not be possible.”
He also thanked the board and district administration for being supportive of Vista and its mission.
Student speaker for the graduation was Samantha Wilson.
“As we sit here tonight, we are surrounded by friends, family, teachers who supported us every step of the way,” Wilson said. “Each of us have faced challenges … moments of doubt, but we made it.”
Wilson also shared that victories came in many forms during her time at Vista, whether it was understanding something that she had been struggling with, having teachers check in to see how she was doing, or just laughing with a friend.
“I’ll always remember the moments when I wanted to give up but I chose not to,” she added. “Growth doesn’t happen overnight; it happens when you keep trying.”
She offered thanks to her family, especially her sister and aunt, who she said were instrumental in helping her get to graduation.
And to the staff at Vista, she gave thanks to them as well.
“You saw potential in us even when we struggled to see it in ourselves,” Wilson said.
Receiving this year’s Student Recognition award was graduate Kevin Lopez-Gomez, who will have his name engraved on the permanent plaque that is placed in the Vista High School office.
Arzac said the award represents hard work, dedication, respect and resilience.
“What it truly means to be a Vista Knight,” Arzac said, adding that the staff considered behavior, attendance and the positive impact the student has had on the school culture at Vista when determining the recipient of the award.
“This year’s recipient was a no-brainer,” Arzac shared, with Lopez-Gomez finishing his credits early and jumping into training to be an automotive technician.
Graduates receiving their diplomas at the Wednesday night ceremony were Jairo Farias Gonsales, Kevin Jesus Lopez-Gomez, Nayeli Padilla, Esmeralda Garcia-Salinas, Luna Peregrino and Samantha Wilson. Graduate Nathan Cedolini was not in attendance. Members of the Escalon Unified School District board were in attendance to shake hands with and wish the Vista gradates well in their next chapter.
Arzac said though it was a small class, they “left their mark” at Vista.
“From taking on projects around the campus to improving spaces, it’s work that future students will benefit from,” Arzac told the 2026 graduates. “You treated this school like it mattered and because of that, it is better now than when you first came in.”
