By Kathleen Acuff

Princess Elizondo and her 37 classmates were elated by their success and sad to leave Alta Vista High School as they graduated last Friday.

Alta Vista High School has graduated the last class of students whose entire time at the school has been in the old buildings behind the district offices. This year’s ceremony was held in the Spartan Theater on the adjacent Mountain View High School campus. Next year’s ceremony will take place in the school’s brand-new building.

Thirty-seven seniors and one graduating junior bid an emotional farewell to the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District’s continuation high school last Friday.

“Go ahead and get your tissues out,” Principal Bill Pierce told the nearly full house as the event began.

Leading the presentations by student leaders, junior Joy Farber said that Alta Vista, “a place unlike any other,” was the turning point of her life. After a troubled career in other schools, Joy found Alta Vista to be “a place I really wanted to be.”

“It showed me the way to so many doors and helped me open them,” she said.

Joy is graduating a year early in her eagerness to get on with life. She will spend the coming year teaching civics to children through the Boston City Year Corps.

“The stereotypes of Alta Vista are completely unfair,” she said. “(Success here) takes hard work and dedication. You don’t coast through,” she said.

Princess Elizonda read an original poem that said in part: “Being the beautiful young people that we are, We can dream our dreams and go so far. …

But remember - and I mean, remember - We must always do our best.”

Christina Guevera spoke to the audience about the daunting challenges of finishing her high school education while becoming a mother.

“It hasn’t been easy, but I did it. Being pregnant is not a reason to stop going to school. It motivated me to work harder and make a success of my life,” she said.

Christina plans to attend college and prepare for a career.

Sione Kongaika moved to the district from New Zealand three years ago. He pointed out that “some of us have jobs, and some of us have kids to take care of.”

Sione said, “I’m proud to be an Alta Vista graduate. … I have a future.” He plans to work two years then join the U.S. Marine Corps.

As he thanked his parents “and every parent here,” as well as Pierce and his teachers, the tall young man with the easy laugh wept - and brought the house down.

Sione’s was a tough act to follow. Chez Flaava’e did so with simple elegance, reading an original poem that exhorted her classmates “to share what we’ve been taught.”

Students won an array of scholarships amounting to $35,000 this year, as well as other awards.

Arturo Olmos, one of the scholarship presenters, called the recipients “as bright as any students around.” Receiving awards were Giovanna Duarte, Marcella Torres, Guevera, Elizondo, Yesenia Guardado, Roseann Quintos and Joy Farber.

Principal Pierce presented the Metamorphosis Award to Chris Haro and the Bill McClintock Scholarship to Synthia Arroyo.