Paso Robles High School graduated on Friday, June 10
PASO ROBLES — Paso Robles High School’s Class of 2022 officially graduated on Friday, June 10, and as tradition, their 2022 Valedictorian and Salutatorian gave the final speeches at the commencement.
Paso Robles High School Bearcat Class of 2022 Valedictorian: Tyler Woodard
Valedicere, the Latin origin for valedictorian, appropriately translates to “to say farewell.” But, over the centuries, we have coined the term valedictorian to mean much more than just saying goodbye.
Valedictorians are the last to give their speech at graduations and are chosen based on their academic standing among their graduating class. Typically, they have the highest grade point average amongst their fellow classmates and become the point persons for the farewell commencement speech.
Paso Robles High School Bearcat Tyler Woodard is the Class of 2022 valedictorian, earning a 4.83 GPA.
Woodard opened his speech by saying, “To those of you graduates who have a pretty good idea of what you’d like to do in your life, congratulations. And those who don’t, I am glad I’m in good company.”
But Woodard knows a little bit about where he is going next in life.
Woodard will be attending UC San Diego to pursue aerospace engineering with plans to intern for the school or an engineering firm.
Regardless of Woodard’s plans, he says to his classmates, “No matter what we all choose to do, I hope we choose to enjoy life. I hope we choose to prioritize who we are and who we can be.”
Between being captain of the boys soccer team and keeping up with school work, Woodard not only maintained his incredibly high GPA but also completed six advanced placement classes.
Woodard attributes his stoic mindset and desire to get into college for engineering for his drive to stay on top of his work.
And finally, Woodard made his final comments to his classmates, officially commencing their graduation, “Thank you, Bearcats, and I wish you luck in your journey to find who you would like to become.”
Paso Robles High School Bearcat Class of 2022 Salutatorian: Rayvin Wulfing
As tradition from the earliest universities, a salutatorian is chosen to accompany the valedictorian with the responsibility of giving the salutation, or greeting of the graduation.
In the early years, salutatorians were fluent in Latin and showed their schools with a speech entirely in the ancient language. However, nowadays, the salutatorian is the second highest academically rating student in their graduation class.
Paso Robles High School Bearcat Rayvin Wulfing is the Class of 2022 salutatorian, earning a 4.79 GPA at the end of her senior year.
Wulfing will be attending Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she will major in interior design.
During her time at PRHS, Wulfing served as one of the editors in chief of the Crimson News Magazine, developing a sense of pride and joy during her four years in high school journalism. She believes that Crimson not only taught her to be a better journalist but to find meaning and purpose in what she did as a one.
During her commencement speech, Wulfing encouraged her classmates to find the light in life.
“May our resilience and perseverance from what we have experienced guide us towards the light,” said Wulfing.
She continued with her final words to her graduating class, “I challenge you, Class of 2022, do not succumb to the hopelessness, the temptation of fear, and the disturbance of distress. Instead, find the light within you and spread it to those you know and to those who need it the most.”
