High school graduation day: Paly grads urged not to lose their school spirit

BY EMILY MIBACH
Daily Post Staff Writer

Mia Rose Tuifua, who graduated from Palo Alto High School yesterday and will become the first in her family to go to college, told the audience at the school’s commencement ceremony that the pressure to succeed is all too real. 

When she got to Paly, she was as “clueless as they come,” saying she initially thought that SAT was just an abbreviation for Saturday and didn’t know the difference between AP (an advanced placement class) and GPA (grade point average). 

Tuifua also reflected on Paly’s reputation as a whole. 

“Some may call us Silicon Valley brats, but let’s not allow these labels to define us. We are so much more than that,” Tuifua said. “We are a generation of dreamers, innovators and change-makers.”

She called on her 542 graduating classmates to not forget their roots, urging them to never lose the spirit of their class, as the class was known for its “legendary” spirit week. 

Student speaker Arielle Blumenfeld likened every Palo Alto High School student’s experience to their graduation caps — one design does not reflect the entire Paly experience. 

Blumenfeld speculated that she wasn’t the only student to have spent hours pondering what to put on her cap, what legacy she wanted to leave behind to encapsulate her final moments at the school. 

“Each of your caps represents some aspect of your identity,” she said. 

Some students kept their hats plain “to reflect your identity as a Paly student,” Blumenfeld said. Others represented their future schools or the languages they speak as a nod to their “familial traditions.” 

Blumenfeld said she was asked to come up with a single relatable aspect of the Paly experience, but acknowledged that her three years at Paly — she transferred in as a sophomore — were spent raising her hand in every class and singing her heart out in “Mamma Mia!” 

Others worked to bring home CCS titles, worked on the school’s robotics team, were on the nationally-ranked debate team or did something else that landed them in a Verde article. 

Going against the tide

Aside from the caps, Blumenfeld noted that all Paly students likely have Trader Joe’s receipts longer than the stoles they were wearing. 

Principal Brent Kline said that his favorite thing about the class of 2023 is that they are not afraid to go against the tide and create their own trends. 

Kline urged the graduates to show their grit and grace to the world. 

Student musicians were also featured during the graduation, with the Palo Alto High School Band performing the Village People’s 1978 disco hit “YMCA,” which caused some graduates to dance along with their arms, spelling out the title of the song. Students Evia Kramer, Phela Durosionmi, Jonas Pao, Reed Schulman, Wesley Perlman and Eoin O’Connell performed Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” and “Walking on the Sunshine,” originally by Katrina and the Waves. 

The Paly Festival Choirs also performed Kirk Franklin’s “I Smile.” 

Associated Student Body President Ashley Meyer assured her classmates that any uncertainty they may feel — about their career paths, moving away from their families or starting something new — it’s all normal. And she suspected many of her classmates felt the same way four years ago as freshmen. 

Meyer reminded her classmates that it is OK not to have the answers, to feel lost and to step outside their comfort zone. 

“Confront the unknown,” Meyer said shortly before the Paly class of 2023 moved their tassels from the right side of their caps to the left side.