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Amador Valley High School seniors enter the football stadium at the beginning of last Friday’s graduation ceremony. (Photo by Christian Trujano) 
Foothill graduating seniors take a moment to thank their friends a family for their support during last Friday’s ceremony. (Photo by Christian Trujano) 
Village High School’s 2026 graduates take their seats after walking the stage and receiving their diplomas. (Photo by Christian Trujano) 
Friends and family packed Amador Valley High School’s stadium to watch as their graduating seniors walk the stage.(Photo by Christian Trujano) 
Foothill High School’s 2026 graduates eagerly sit through the opening remarks and performances before walking the stage. (Photo by Christian Trujano) 
Foothill High School Principal Sebastian Bull welcomes everyone to this year’s graduation ceremony. (Photo by Christian Trujano) 
Village High graduate Josue Pineda Bonilla is recognized for his long journey of immigrating to the U.S. and having to learn English while completing the rest of his studies. (Photo by Christian Trujano) 
Amador Valley High School graduates begin walking across the stage during last Friday’s commencement ceremony. (Photo by Christian Trujano) 
Friends and family cheer on their 2026 graduates during Amador’s commencement ceremony last week. (Photo by Christian Trujano) 
Bull’s opening remarks included a recognition for a Foothill Falcon who died early last year and who was meant to graduate this year. (Photo by Christian Trujano) 
Foothill Associate Student President Karishma Parikh (left) and senior class president Natalie Lee (right) deliver their opening speeches at the beginning of last week’s graduation ceremony. (Photo by Christian Trujano) 
Students embrace their teachers who deliver a number of academic awards to this year’s graduating class of Village High School. (Photo by Christian Trujano) 
Village High School teacher Russell Sato presents his academic teacher award to one of this year’s graduating seniors during Village’s commencement ceremony at the Firehouse Arts Center last Friday. (Photo by Christian Trujano) 
Amador Valley valedictorian Yitong Tang delivers an impassioned speech about going out into the world and shaping the future during last week’s commencement ceremony.(Photo by Christian Trujano) 
This year’s graduating Foothill Falcons get ready to walk the stage. (Photo by Christian Trujano) 
Village High School graduate Alivia Green delivers an impassioned speech where she thanked her mother for supporting her throughout her educational journey. (Photo by Christian Trujano) 
This year’s Foothill High School graduation performances included renditions of an ABBA song, “Slipping Through My Fingers”. (Photo by Christian Trujano) 
AVHS Principal Malcolm Norrington delivers his first graduation speech at Amador following the completion of his first year on the job. (Photo by Christian Trujano) 
This year’s graduating Don’s eagerly await the start of last week’s commencement ceremony. (Photo by Christian Trujano)
Resilience, perseverance and community were some of the main motifs at all three Pleasanton Unified School District high school commencement ceremonies last week, where families, friends and fellow students celebrated this year’s graduating class.
Village High School, PUSD’s continuation school, kicked off the festivities last Friday (May 29) with at least half a dozen speeches from students who spoke about their unique high school experiences and how, for many of them, the alternative school saved and gave them a fighting chance for a better future.
“I know many people up on this stage, including myself, did not think that we would be here,” Village graduate Kayleigh Meola-Petersen said during the ceremony. “If you told me three years ago that I would be walking the stage or standing up here and giving a speech, I would laugh in your face.”
But for Meola-Petersen, and the two-dozen other graduates, Village not only gave them the courage and strength to speak in front of a full audience at the Firehouse Arts Center that afternoon, it also gave them a community and a place to push themselves to be the best versions of themselves.
“Thank you to everyone who helped these students graduate today,” Meola-Petersen said.
In west Pleasanton, the full weight of the sun was felt at Foothill High School’s 2026 graduation ceremony as families and friends packed the school’s football stadium bleachers and the several hundreds of field seats lined across the field last Friday afternoon to see this year’s seniors walk the stage.
Foothill’s ceremony was filled with entertaining musical renditions of songs like “The Star Spangled Banner”, which was performed this year on the viola, and ABBA’s “Slipping Through My Fingers”, as well as Foothill’s most recent tradition of principal Sebastian Bull leading the graduates in a mock-rollercoaster ride.
However, there were also a couple of emotional moments during the ceremony; one being when Bull called for a round of applause to honor Daniel Hernández Alvarado, a Foothill Falcon who died in a fatal crash back in January 2025. Alvarado was meant to graduate along with the rest of this year’s graduates.
“We’ll always remember Daniel and keep him and his family in our hearts,” Bull said after the crowd erupted in applause and cheers for their fellow Falcon.
PUSD capped off its 2026 graduations with Amador Valley High School’s ceremony, which took place later in the evening Friday at the school’s football field.
The ceremony was hosted by Amador’s newest principal Malcolm Norrington, who completed his first year as principal — he was appointed a little over a year ago to return stability to the campus after the leadership turmoil of 2025-26.
“Class of 2026, tonight is a celebration of your achievements, your growth, your resilience and the journey that brought me to this moment,” Norrington said. “As your principal this past year, I had the privilege of watching you learn, lead, struggle, persevere and rise … Amador Valley High School has not only shaped you, but you have shaped me.”
Haben Naizghi, Amador Valley’s 2026 commencement speaker, also spoke about what it meant to be a Don and how much the school has taught him not just about academics but about life as well.
“Congratulations class of 2026 and thank you Amador for preparing us not for just what we know, but for everything we’re about to figure out,” Naizghi said.
The Pleasanton Weekly congratulates the graduates on their success and wishes them all the best.
