Behind the Scenes of Gilbert High’s 108th Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2025
Behind the Scenes of Gilbert High’s 108th Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2025
Tristan Chavez
Graduating from high school is a significant milestone, marking the successful completion of many years of dedication by students. At Gilbert High, preparation for graduation begins the moment students enter as freshmen. From that point on, a comprehensive system is in place that offers students the tools and resources they need to succeed in school and graduate in four years, culminating in the moment they walk across the stage on graduation day.
A significant amount of planning and coordination occurs behind the scenes to ensure the graduation ceremony itself is a memorable and meaningful event. This preparation begins at the start of the school year, right when students get back to school.
Administrators and staff begin by working together on various elements that contribute to a successful graduation ceremony. This includes everything from the initial requisitions and purchase orders for essential items such as diplomas and cords to coordinating with vendors for audio-visual equipment, stage setup, seating arrangements, caps and gowns, and more.
Putting on a meaningful graduation ceremony goes beyond the technical arrangements. At Gilbert High, administrators make a strong effort to incorporate the voices and perspectives of the graduating class into the event itself. Administrators and staff meet with senior class officers and selected student speakers to discuss their vision for the ceremony. These conversations explore potential themes that resonate with the graduating class, which helps the speakers refine their speeches and underlying messages.
This emphasis on student voice and ownership reflects the overall supportive and collaborative culture at Gilbert High. As one staff member noted, “The culture at Gilbert High can be described by saying everyone helps everyone. All staff members have each other's backs as we all work to support our students. Even our students get involved. We have students who volunteer to help with things across the school, so we all come together to get things done and done well. It’s a big family.”
Contributing to this strong sense of community, support, and student voice at Gilbert High is the leadership of Principal Lucas Blackburn, who is completing his first year at the school. His positive energy and commitment to building relationships with students and staff have made a significant impact on the school culture.
“I think Lucas’s experience as a principal at an elementary school has helped him succeed here at Gilbert High,” added Magda Gonzales, Assistant Principal at Gilbert High. “At the younger grades, it’s all about loving your students and supporting them in the best way possible – whether it’s a simple high five or spending a few minutes to talk to them. It’s the same thing in high school, it just looks a little different. He’s done a great job building relationships with our students, and it’s shown by how receptive they are to him.”
As the culmination of years of dedication and growth, along with the tradition of holding commencement ceremonies at Gilbert High’s Tiger Stadium, the 108th graduation ceremony at Gilbert High holds a special significance for the students. As one staff member put it, “There’s something special about having our graduation on the Gilbert High field. There’s a certain sense of pride that students have when they walk on the field to say, ‘we made it.’”
The Gilbert High Class of 2025 will walk across the stage in Tiger Stadium on Thursday, May 22nd, and the next chapter of their journey will begin. For more information on 2025 Graduation events across Gilbert Public Schools, visit GilbertSchools.net/Classof2025.
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