Mare Island Technology Academy uses ‘resilience’ to graduate
When keynote speaker and former Vallejo Mayor Bob Sampayan addressed the crowd at Beverly Hills Elementary School in Vallejo, he began by reciting the definition of the world “resilient.” Someone who is resilient is someone able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.
Or in this case the 2022 graduating class at Mare Island Technology Academy in Vallejo.
Family and friends cheered on 104 students receiving their diplomas on Wednesday night after four years of studying during difficult times in the world.
“The Class of 2022 has had its share of difficulties,” Sampayan said. “It began with the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 when schools throughout the country were shut down and students began the difficult task of remote learning. The loss of in-person, one-on-one instruction caused some students to suffer. It was also the loss of high school activities or the events that are so important to a high schooler’s experience. The dances, sporting events and day-to-day camaraderie — these are all the high school experiences they missed and can’t relive.
“But the Class of 2022 showed up,” Sampayan continued. “And you did it because you’re proud, strong but most of all you are resilient,” Sampayan said.