For Petaluma graduates, a bright if uncertain future
Members of Petaluma’s high school graduating class of 2018 will be looking in two directions this week, gazing back fondly on 12 years of learning, growing and friendship while at the same time looking forward to a future many have planned, but none can know for certain.
For many, the future will mean more scholastic learning at institutions from Santa Rosa Junior College to the Ivy League. For others, the future will mean an immediate step into the adult world of working, building and earning a living. For all, the stroll across the stage will mean accomplishment and change.
Following are an examples of the young people who have left their marks on their schools and are now eager to leave their imprints on the world.
Bradley McCullough, San Antonio High School
For most high school graduates, it has been a 12-year educational marathon. For San Antonio High School graduate Bradley McCullough, it has been more like a mad dash to the finish.
McCullough is an articulate 17-year-old who makes friends easily, but, by his own admission, has had trouble focusing on his school work. He just wasn’t all that interested in school until this year. With encouragement from his mother, Jamie Lewis, his girlfriend, Josie Hoover, and Hoover’s mother, Carol Hoover, he made up his mind to not only graduate, but to graduate with his class this week.
He also had a family motivation. His twin brother, Jordan, will graduate from Carpe Diem High School.
Of course, there was a little problem - he was quite a bit behind. Thus the sprint began.
Taking six school classes, garnering credits for community service, doing extra credit work and taking adult school classes, he managed to accumulate 101 credits all the while maintaining good grades (two Cs, 3 Bs and an A+ this semester).
“I made it with just enough,” he announced proudly. “It was very hard. It took me seven months of just going home every day and doing what needed to get it done. It was a lot of hard work and a lot of stress, but it was all good stress.”
He said that during times of discouragement he would think about all the people who had helped him.
“I didn’t want to let them down,” he said. “I had put so much work in I didn’t want it to be wasted.”
Whenever the pressure got too great, McCullough had an outlet.
“When I felt like things were overwhelming me, I would hop on my racing bike and just cruise around town and get my head straight,” he said.
He said being at San Antonio High School was a big reason his last-year sprint to the graduation stage was successful.
“Being in smaller classes and being able to interact with the teachers definitely helped,” he said. “The teachers pushed me hard every day. They still made me do all the work, but they were always there to help me.”
Now that the goal has been achieved, McCullough is both nervous and excited.
“I’m finally done with 12 years of school,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned how to get myself out there; how to get a job; and how things go in the real world.”
Nicole Walker, Petaluma High School
At Petaluma High School, social life revolves around the Associated Student Body, and the ASB this year meant Nicole Walker.
It is a service that comes naturally for the 18-year-old, who has always been involved in school activities. As a freshman and junior, she was class vice-president. This year she was ASB president, completing four years of serving on the student body organization. The ASB organizes and administers dances, rallies, clubs and most all other student activities.
“It sets the social climate and culture of the school,” said Walker, the daughter of Jani and Craig Walker. She has one older brother.
While ASB is huge for Walker, it hasn’t prevented her from being one of the school’s top students. She has a 4.6 grade point average, taking almost all advanced placement classes.
Walker has also been a pioneer in girls lacrosse at Petaluma High. She joined the team as a freshman in the first year it was an official school sport and has seen it grow from a point when there was barely enough girls to field a team to this season when the Trojans played in the North Coast Section playoffs.
This year Walker added a job working at a downtown restaurant to her schedule. She enjoys lacrosse and works hard at her academics, but her passion is ASB.
“I love making things happen for my class and my school,” she said. “It makes me feel good.”
But even the ever optimistic and joyful Walker acknowledged that her senior year was different.
“The fires were just devastating,” she said. “Even though Petaluma wasn’t directly hit, the fires threw everyone off. We lost school days and everyone I know volunteered wherever they could.”
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