According to Ms. Rachel Apalategui, Pueblo’s registrar, the following seven students will be graduating tonight:
1. Yuriel Escalante Valenzuela
2. Eva Espinosa
3. Raul Garcia
4. Cody Johnson
5. Jazmin Rivas
6. Joel Molina
7. Gabriel Palomino
Most of these students will be attending a graduation ceremony for all T.U.S.D. high school students tonight, Thursday, Dec. 21 at 6 p.m. at Catalina High School. According to Apalategui, perhaps as many as 100 students across the district will be graduating tonight.
One of those lucky Warrior graduates is Gabriel Palomino, who needed an extra semester to catch up his credits. Specifically, he needed two credits in science and math.
“I still feel as if I’m the Class of 2017, even though it’s going to be in December,” Palomino said. “I’m an example of a student who didn’t concentrate and didn’t do work on time. But, I just want other students to know that they should push on—things do get better. It all comes with time.”
Palomino plans to pursue a career in culinary arts at Pima Community College immediately after he earns his degree from Pueblo.
“This degree means a lot to me, but it’s not the end of my academic road,” Palomino said. “I’ve worked too hard to give up now.”