With the time ticking down towards the end of the school year, the Class of 2026 at Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) are gearing up for graduation. Amidst this preparation is Senior Awards Night, which was held on the evening of May 26 at the Buena High School (Buena) A.W. McConnell Auditorium.
Senior Awards Night recognizes the accomplishments of the graduating class. A multitude of honors were presented at the event, including scholarships, cords for completing specific Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways and magna and summa cum laude distinctions—latin academic honor awards. Students, staff and families alike gathered to celebrate the graduating class ahead of commencement.
The event began with the presentation of scholarships from local organizations, such as the Rotary Club of Ventura, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and the 20th Century Onyx Club, recognizing students for their academic achievement and community involvement throughout high school. As seniors walked across the stage to receive their awards, applause from peers, staff and family filled the auditorium.
“I’m honestly surprised. I didn’t really know that I was getting all of these, to be honest. In terms of the scholarship ones and everything else I got, it’s really exciting,” Ashton Brown ‘26 said. Brown was awarded several scholarships, including those from Gold Coast Charities and the Ventura County Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
As the event progressed, graduation cords were presented to students for specific achievements, such as completing pathways like Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) or earning the distinction of magna cum laude or summa cum laude.
Following this, the Athletic Wall of Fame awards were passed out, recognizing athletes from a variety of sports and their accomplishments. Awardees included Rylie Hannah ‘26 for indoor volleyball, Eli Billings ‘26 for cross country, Ammar Atiah ‘26 for soccer, Caroline Van der Kooij ‘26 for water polo, Shane White ‘26 for baseball and Amelia Gerk ‘26 for track and field.
Awards for community service were given out as well. Community service had four subcategories: Silver, for those who completed between 75-99 service hours, Gold, for those who completed between 100-124 service hours, Platinum, for those who completed between 125-199 service hours, and Ruby, for those who completed over 200 service hours. Kathleen Cheng ‘26 was applauded for having over 800 hours, the most service hours of the senior class.
The second half of the event featured the Dragon Hall of Fame awards. Featuring categories ranging from Mathematics to Visual Arts to Most Inspirational, each awardee was nominated by a teacher and given a medal to wear at graduation.
“I joined drama when I was a freshman and that was my first home at Foothill, and being able to be president and then winning this award means the world to me,” Emilia Linder ‘26, Dragon Hall of Fame award for Performing Arts recipient, said.
The final awards presented during Senior Awards Night recognized students for their outstanding contributions to the Foothill Tech community. These awards included the “Linda Kapala” Community Service award, which was presented to Kathleen Cheng ‘26, the Dana Eaton Award, which was presented to Ben Barnett ‘26 and, closing out the ceremony, the “Best All Around” awards, which were presented to Jane Kim ‘26 and Angel Sanchez ‘26.
“The athletics [award meant a lot to me], I mean, I’ve been playing basketball my whole life, and many, many hours have been spent. Not trying to get this [award], obviously, but just trying to be the best basketball player I could be,” Brown said. Brown was a highly decorated individual at the event, with the Joe Bova Scholar Athlete award being one of the honors he was presented with.
As the event came to a close and the end of the school year drew near, emotions began hitting the Class of 2026. Reflecting on their high school careers, several seniors mentioned key things about high school that they would miss.
“Oh, don’t get me started. I’m going to miss everything. I mean, just all the fun memories, all the teachers, the mornings, just talking to everyone … I’m just gonna miss being around everyone.” Daniel Rios ‘26 said.
As the evening came to a close, families gathered in the lobby to take photos. The scholarships, medals and cords awarded served as a tangible symbol of their four years at Foothill Tech. With Senior Awards Night officially over, the Class of 2026 will take their final steps towards graduation, preparing for the next chapter of their lives.
