It was a slightly breezy but heartfelt night on the football field as St. Ignatius High School celebrated the 28 graduates of the class of 2026.  

High School Principal Shawn Hendrickson opened the ceremony by recognizing the parents, teachers and staff who helped these students achieve their goal of crossing the stage on Friday, June 5.  

He read off a few numbers: “.178, 29, 56 and 1.1 million.” Hendrickson then explained that between the salutatorian and the third-ranked graduate, Abigail Gillin, there was a .178 thousandth difference in GPAs.  

Twenty-nine was the number of graduation banners that Chad and Sarah Killorn created, donated and hung across Mission. And Hendrickson thanked them for doing this service for the last seven years.  

Fifty-six percent of the class is planning to attend college, a university or a trade school. Finally, he said the class of 2026 earned just under $1.1 million in scholarships; divided up, that amounts to about $35,341 per student.  

Welcomed to the stage next was Salutatorian Brooklyn McClure, who joked that Mr. Hendrickson was not going to hand over her diploma if she didn’t give the “greatest speech ever.” Jokes aside, McClure thanked the staff who helped her get to the stage.  

McClure said that throughout her life, she has had a support system that has never let her down, and she is truly grateful to the family, teachers and coaches who have been in her corner.  

Her favorite math teacher is her mom, and she isn’t sure what she will do without her next year. Her dad was also always willing to drive three hours to Eureka on a Tuesday night to watch basketball and “get home super late.”  

“Not only have my parents always supported me in all my endeavors, but they have also pushed me to be the best version of myself,” she said. “They pushed me to try new things, work hard in school, in athletics, and maybe most importantly, be a good person. I wouldn't be nearly as cool as I am without my mom and dad.”  

Speaking of coolness, she added that her best friends, also known as her older brothers, have guided her through life, along with her grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.  

McClure reflected on her 12 years at Mission and explained that from the moment she was a freshman, she was waiting for the next big milestone — graduation. She regrets not enjoying school more because she was just waiting for that moment.  

So, her parting advice to the class of 2026 was to be present in the moment.  

“We owe it to ourselves to enjoy all the time between milestones, because that is where we live most of our lives,” McClure said.  

Next to the stage was Valedictorian Arianna Robine, who started her speech off by thanking the teachers who played a pivotal role in supporting this graduating class. She also thanked her parents for pushing her to become the best version of herself and being her constant cheer team.  

Robine congratulated her class on all their accomplishments and the unique challenges they have navigated together.  

“Up to this point, we have all walked to a similar goal: graduation,” she said. “After today, our paths will start to branch off a little bit more, and our goals will likely change. We've got to walk together for so long, but now it's time to start to stand and walk a little more independently.” 

Retired teacher and board member Tim Marchant also spoke and passed the torch of stewardship of conservation and cultural preservation on to the class of 2026.  

Many students were also recognized for earning honor diplomas, the seal of biliteracy and recognition of their career pathways.      Salutatorian Brooklyn McClure’s parting wisdom was for the class of 2026 to live in the moment. (Emily Messer/Leader)

 The Yamncut drummers perform the Flag Song as the St. Ignatius graduation ceremony kicked off on Friday, June 5. (Emily Messer/Leader)

 Alecia Steele holds up her diploma after she crosses the stage (Emily Messer/Leader)

 Valedictorian Arianna Robine applauded her fellow graduates for overcoming the challenges they have faced together and said that from here, they will all start to define their own paths. (Emily Messer/Leader)