A Message to the Class of 2014

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The slideshow above shows the graduation ceremony at Royal High School in Simi Valley, held on May 29, 2014 at the school’s stadium. As two other Simi high schools held their respective graduations on the same night, we had to pick one to feature for this slideshow. We will make sure to cover different schools’ ceremonies in the years to come. We are very proud of ALL of our graduates for their accomplishments! 

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A letter from Dr. Kathryn Scroggin, Superintendent of the Simi Valley Unified School District

Dear Class of 2014:

As of June 9, 2014, all qualified seniors in the Simi Valley Unified School District can officially be called “graduates.” With the sigh of relief that follows reaching this important milestone there is also the happy realization that so many possibilities lie ahead, no matter what path you choose. Every door is open, and every dream has an opportunity to become a reality.

The title of “graduate” also carries a great responsibility for the Class of 2014. Each one of you is charged with the responsibility of not only charting your own path and making a life for yourself but also with the responsibility of blazing a path for those who will follow you and making a life – a better life- for the world.

The graduates who came before you followed mostly similar paths. All of us went to school, graduated, went to college or started a job, became teachers, accountants, mechanics, lawyers or doctors, started families and settled into a mostly comfortable routine. Most of you will follow a similar path, but what you may not realize is that this path is undergoing a major overhaul which will take you in directions you never dreamed of and lead you to careers that have yet to be created. What an exciting future lies ahead of you!

You will compete not only in a local and national economy but also in a global economy. You will have an impact not only on your community, your state and your country but also on the world. You will chart the path that so many who come after you will follow. You will help design a future for a world that welcomes you and all of the possibilities you see for tomorrow.

All of the teachers, support staff and administrators who have touched your lives on your educational journey in the Simi Valley Unified School District feel privileged to have been able to guide you toward the end of that journey – graduation. We have taught you to be thinkers, problem solvers, communicators and collaborators. These are all skills you will need to compete in the global economy. You are ready to not just face but rather to create the future.

John Lennon said, “The thing the sixties did was to show us the possibilities and the responsibility that we all have. It wasn’t the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the possibility.” Class of 2014, in you we see the possibilities for the future. We know that you will take the responsibility for finding the answers. 

-Dr. Kathryn Scroggin

Superintendent, Simi Valley Unified School District