Many seniors have mixed emotions as they graduate from TOHS

DANIEL WOLOWICZ/Acorn Newspapers ALL SMILES- Karli Adkins, left, and Nancy Cole, both 18, celebrate their graduation from Thousand Oaks High School on the football field. Adkins and Cole were two of the 620 seniors who earned their high school diplomas last Thursday night. As seniors gathered behind the school's stadium last Thursday evening, Kaytie Smith stood among her fellow Thousand Oaks High School graduates feeling- like most of her peers- mixed emotions.

In a matter of moments, the more than 600 seniors would step out onto the football field and receive their high school diplomas.

Excited about beginning classes at Los Angeles City College in the fall to study dental technology, the 18yearold Thousand Oaks resident was at the same time sad that this would be the last time her group of friends would be together on the campus.

"Now it's up to us to keep in touch," Smith said.

Although she'll miss seeing the friends she's made over the past four years, Smith said, she was eager to graduate.

"It was a really big accomplishment for me," she said. "I'm glad that I got to do it at Thousand Oaks High School."

Dressed in green and white caps and gowns, the graduates listened as a short list of class speakers used humor and a touch of melancholy to recount their high school experiences and thank those who helped make their milestone possible.

"I don't care what you've convinced yourself, but none us have arrived at this point by ourselves," said senior class speaker Abby Sasson. "It's a combined effort of many people who have gotten us to this day."

Fellow senior class speaker Trevor TothTevel gave a tonguein-cheek Will Ferrell-esque speech in which he promised not to quote Ralph Waldo Emerson or include a SpongeBob SquarePants joke or succumb to cliché and describe the graduating class as "unique."

By the end of his speech, Trevor had done all three- much to the amusement of the crowd.

"These are the people you've grown up with," Trevor said of the graduating class. "They have seen you through your awkward stages with braces and bad clothing, and they have lived through senioritis. Not to be confused with hepatitis."

Associated Student Body President Tyler Hobbs said the seniors had "built personalities" surviving the ups and downs of their high school careers and talked about the new opportunity that comes with a diploma.

"This diploma is nothing more or less than an opportunity," Tyler said. "From this moment on, each and every one of us that walks across the stage will be handed an opportunity."

Principal Tim Carpenter recognized three longtime Conejo Valley Unified School District employees who were retiring this year as well as TOHS Assistant Principal Brian Crain, who is moving to Oregon next year.

The three retiring educators include TOHS math teacher Lea LaBarthe, Madrona Elementary School Principal George Coyle and the district's Director of Secondary Education Max Beaman.

Carpenter congratulated the graduates and reminded them to keep in touch with the teachers who helped shape their high school careers.

"You will learn in the next few months that this is an incredibly talented faculty and staff who have prepared you well for the next phase of your life," Carpenter said. "I would encourage you to seek out those people at Thousand Oaks High School who have made a difference and simply say: 'Thanks.'"

The evening ended with the graduates singing the school's alma mater before setting out for an all-night party at Disneyland.