On May 30, Huntington Beach High School (HBHS) hosted its Next Steps Ceremony to celebrate the class of 2024. The ceremony showcased a variety of different paths the graduating class chose to take. This included four-year colleges, community colleges, trade schools, joining the armed forces, and taking a gap year.
Students and their families gathered in the gym to hear a few words from HBHS principal, Brenna Orr, before socializing and taking photos. Orr congratulated the class of 2024 and acknowledged all their hard work, with their friends and family sitting in the bleachers. The gymnasium was decorated with balloon arches in the school colors, walls lined with college posters, and tables with large papers for students to sign, labeled “Out of State College,” “Gap Year,” “Out of the Country” and more.
One graduating Oiler, Sam Borenstein, is going out of the country to attend the University of Toronto. Borenstein said, “Going to college [in Canada] massively reduces the cost, which is a really big [deal] for me.”
He also mentioned that his father was born in Canada, so he’s had citizenship since he was young. Borenstein has family in Canada as well, so he will still feel supported throughout his college years.
Borenstein is pursuing a career in the arts and is very excited to attend the University of Toronto next year. He said, “It’s kind of like my dream school in the way that it’s in the perfect place, it doesn’t cost, like, so much that I’ll be in debt and I can still pursue what I love and get a sufficient education.”
Another HBHS senior, Sabah Alidina, wants to become an elementary school teacher and plans to major in Spanish, pre-education, and social transformation. She said, “I chose UCLA because out of the colleges I was accepted to, it has the best programs for my majors.”
Alidina also said, “In college, I’m most excited to make new friends and experience living in a dorm.”
Overall, this year’s Next Steps Ceremony was a success, allowing HBHS seniors to celebrate their goals for the future with friends and family. The students could also connect with their peers and make new friends with others who plan to attend the same college or follow the same path. From going off to college to taking a gap year, HBHS is proud of the class of ‘24 and can’t wait to see what their future holds.
