Crowd of 3,200 attends Newbury Park commencement
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers A MOMENT OF JOY- Keyon Aminian, 17, of Newbury Park is ready to join his classmates in tossing their caps into the sky at graduation ceremonies Friday at Newbury Park High School. Commencement was held last week for all five Conejo Valley Unified School District high schools. Please see our in-depth coverage in today's Thousand Oaks Acorn on pages 22 through 28.

More than 3,200 people, most of them wearing black, attended the Newbury Park High School commencement ceremony on the school's football field.

Moms in high heels maneuvered the steep metal bleachers, grandparents made their way gingerly, babies arrived in strollers, caretakers pushed wheelchairs, and golf carts shuttled a few tired souls from faraway parking.

In black caps and gowns, about 480 seniors walked onto the field as parents, like paparazzi chasing celebrities, trained giant lenses, video cameras and even cellphones on the graduates.

"This is a stadium, but this is not a sporting event," warned a voice over the loudspeaker, pleading for those attending to respect the dignity of the event and not make loud noises.

Still, the enthusiasm of some parents couldn't be stifled as proud fathers shouted the names of their children as celebrants marched toward the seating set up on the field.

Following the graduates were the kilt-wearing Panther pipers, playing "Scotland the Brave" on their bagpipes and drums as they preceded the faculty onto the field.

"Today it doesn't matter how sleep-deprived we've been for four years. . . . We are here. We did it," said Lauryn Gabby.

Class valedictorians, those with a 4.65 or higher GPA, were honored. They were Alexander James Cooper, Michael De Lyon, Milena Dimitrova, Petra Elias, Jessica Fujimoto, Lauryn Gabby, Anna Grzegorczyk, Ariel Jahner, Erin McCaffery, Ellen McCrary, Fletcher Munksgard, Monica Qiu, Nicole Ruddy, Alex Stone, Matthew Waid and Lillian Ware.

The Beatles song "In My Life" was performed.

"There are places I remember. All my life, though some have changed, some forever, not for better . . . I know I'll often stop and think about them. In my life I love you more," sang Monica Qiu.

Senior Kenneth Baldwin sang "Ready to Fly" by Richard Marx.

"The answer to all of my wonder was right in my hands. Now it's time for me to discover all that I am. I've always had wings. Now I'm ready to fly," Baldwin sang. "Over the sun like a rocket to heaven."

Seniors including Cory Welsh, Brittany Jellison, Milena Dimitrova and Ariel Jahner spoke about building pyramids, wondered where the time had gone and recalled high school days of homecoming dances, bomb threats, exit exams, blood drives, prom and teen spirit nights. Many of the seniors had spent the night before graduation at Disneyland's grad night event.

A strong breeze blew and gowns waved gently as mortarboards stayed tightly on the graduates' heads.

The senior chamber singers sang "My Wish for You" by John Carter, and Jessica Stoll performed "Defying Gravity." The keynote speaker was teacher James O'Brien.

Principal Athol Wong presented the class. Each graduate crossed the stage. Dorothy Beaubien of the board of education accepted the class.

Then, when the graduates' high school days were officially over, their caps came off and flew into the air.