DOWNEY – The last week of May was busy for Downey Unified high school students, teachers and administrators. With commencement ceremonies quickly approaching; many students made the final touches on what would be their last week of high school.

Opening the celebratory week of graduations was the Columbus High School commencement ceremony on May 31. Celebrating this occasion at the Downey Civic Theater, 151 students floated across the stage as they accepted their diplomas.

The following day, 881 Warren High School seniors prepared to take the stage to accept their diplomas. Filling the Veterans Memorial Stadium at Long Beach City College with enthusiasm and boisterous applause, these students could barely contain themselves as they crossed the stage.

Amongst the students, approximately 10,000 in attendance added to the thunderous excitement. Thirteen Bears finished their final year of high school with a 4.5 GPA or higher.

To conclude the Downey Unified commencement ceremonies trilogy, Veterans Memorial Stadium was just as booming Friday evening, June 2, with the Downey High School graduating class engulfing the stadium. A total of 1,047 seniors showed nothing put passion and enthusiasm as they accepted their diplomas, 13 of these Vikings finished the 2016-17 school year with a 4.5 GPA or higher. Cheering on the graduates were approximately 11,000 supporters.

Sealbearers are recognized as students in the state of California who possess high standards in academic scholarship, community service and citizenship; the comprehensive high schools honored a total of 279 sealbearers, the highest in Downey Unified history. This is 42 more students than last year’s total number of Downey Unified sealbearers.

Overall, 707 students that are graduating from Downey Unified will be attending a myriad of four-year universities in the fall including Yale, MIT, Stanford, UCLA, USC, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine. Additional graduates will be attending a number of junior colleges such as Long Beach City College, Cerritos College, Los Angeles Trade Technical School and the Universal Technical Institute to transfer or pursue industry specific certification.

“With a combined graduation total of 2,079 students, Downey Unified would like to congratulate the 2017 Columbus, Downey and Warren high school graduates for this outstanding accomplishment,” expressed Board of Education president Martha Sodetani. “We truly look forward to all the great endeavors each of you will accomplish in the coming years.”

2,000-plus high school seniors receive diplomas in Downey