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Under sunny skies and temperatures around 65 degrees, Scriber Lake High School celebrated the graduation of 44 students Thursday evening at the Edmonds School District Stadium, with a ceremony marked by deeply personal stories of resilience, transformation and hope.
Several student speakers reflected on moments in their lives when they questioned whether they wanted to continue living. Yet on this evening, they stood before hundreds of family members, friends and staff members to accept their diplomas and share their journeys.
The school’s mission states: “Scriber Lake High School will ensure that all students become successful, by helping them identify, develop and maximize their strengths, skills and talents.” The stories shared throughout the ceremony served as powerful evidence of that mission in action.
Speech highlights
Trinity Arlen Nelson delivered a land acknowledgment recognizing the Snohomish people and the Tulalip Tribes as the original inhabitants and stewards of the area.
Edmonds School Board president Nancy Katims recognized students Quentin Montalvo and William Tonga, who gave a “very moving presentation” to the Board last December about the challenges they faced and the successes they had at Scriber Lake.
“They described many aspects of the school and staff that gave them this foundation of success,” Katims said. “But one statement really stood out: ‘When I came to Scriber, I started to truly learn.’ We school board directors were honored to receive letters from several of the Scriber Lake students telling us how Scriber gives them hope.”
“And perhaps my favorite comment: ‘People at Scriber help us go from surviving to living and from living to loving,’” Katims added.
Principal Daniel Falk said Scriber Lake’s mission is to help students change the direction of their lives.
“At Scriber, we focus on trajectory,” Falk said. “Our goal is to help students shift that path upward, ensuring you leave in a better place than you started and moving toward an even better place.”
Falk noted that historically only about 20% of students arrive at Scriber Lake on track to graduate, making commencement a celebration of growth rather than perfection.
Senior Christian Carnley compared life’s challenges to strength training, describing failure as an essential part of progress.
“Failure is my best friend,” Carnley said. “Each challenge in my life, each tribulation I face, each hardship that bears down on me, is just another set, another chance to fail, another chance to grow past my limits.”
Several graduates credited teachers and staff with helping them overcome personal struggles and find a sense of belonging.
“These shout-outs to me, big and small, placed new stepping stones of hope and determination for me,” senior Crow Harper said. “I’m graduating. I’m alive and happy. I’m excited for the future. I got into college.”
Jake Briones said he immediately felt welcomed after transferring to Scriber Lake.
“The second I stepped foot into the school, I felt like I was at home,” Briones said. “Scriber Lake has given me so many opportunities.”
Senior Dusty Martin said the school provided a supportive environment during a difficult period in life.
“Coming here has changed everything for me,” Martin said. “I finally felt comfortable to completely be myself as a trans man and was accepted without question. Congratulations, COVID 6th graders. We did it.”
Senior Lukas Lynch spoke about overcoming periods of hopelessness and said staff members never gave up on him.
“I realize that I never really did lose hope because the people at Scriber never lost hope in me,” Lynch said.
Senior Abel Velasco said attending Scriber Lake challenged misconceptions he had heard about the school.
“They are the most helpful, genuinely kind and just all-out positive people that you’ll ever meet,” Velasco said. “Even if you feel you can’t do it, even if you feel like your hole is too deep, keep trying, because there is always a way to get out of that hole.”
Senior Jasper Rhodes said teachers took the time to understand students’ circumstances and provide support when it was needed most.
“Where at other schools I felt ignored and treated as a problem because I was struggling, at Scriber they actually cared to ask how I was doing and tried to understand what was going on,” Rhodes said.
Faculty speaker Brian Lundquist encouraged graduates to carry courage, relationships and resilience into the next stage of their lives.
“Courage is looking at something difficult and deciding that you will go through it regardless of the anxiety that you may feel from the unknown path,” Lundquist said. “Relationships are at the core of our every being and our existence. I’m so proud of you all.”
The evening concluded with scholarship presentations from the Joan Maybank Memorial, the Foundation for Edmonds School District, the Edmonds Rotary Club, Washington Kids, Gallery North in Edmonds, the Edmonds Daybreakers Rotary and the Point Foundation.
While every graduation celebrates academic achievement, Scriber Lake’s Class of 2026 offered something more: a testament to second chances, perseverance and the life-changing impact that a caring school community can have on young people finding their path.
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