Page 4
Letters of support for Grads
June 10, 2020
Teachers and
Staff Look Back
SEI will always support you
On behalf of Self Enhancement, Inc., we want to wish all of our se-
niors the absolute best as you move into this next phase of life.
Some of you are preparing to further your education by going to
college close by or far away. Others are jumping into the workforce
right away, with hopes to pursue passions they’d always dreamt of.
Regardless of what you decide to do in this next phase of life, we want
our seniors to always remember that SEI will always have your back.
We will always be there to sup-
port you, help you, and cheer you
on. We love and miss you so much!
We miss you coming into the office
just to talk, ask for snacks, and we
even miss telling you to go to class.
Words are hard to find when it
comes to how proud we are of each
of you! We’re so honored to be your
coordinators and wish you nothing
but the best for this next phase of
your life. No matter what, you’ll al-
ways be part of the SEI family, we
love you!
~Love, Ms. Ebony, Bubba, and
Ms. Shy (inset)
PCC Partnership was Inspirational
It’s my honor to
salute you
Dear Jefferson High School
Class of 2020:
First, thank you for the hon-
or of addressing you on this mo-
mentous occasion. It has been a
source of great pride for me to see
the partnership between Jefferson
and PCC-Cascade grow and thrive
over the years. Watching Jefferson
transform from a struggling in-
stitution to being recognized for
highest graduation rates in the
state has been truly inspirational.
On behalf of the Middle Col-
lege staff, Cascade faculty and
administration, I offer congratu-
lations, best wishes, and sincere
hope for a fantastic future.
This may not be the graduation
you’d hoped for, or the conditions
in which you’d wished to grad-
uate, but I believe this singular
moment in history provides you
-- and your fellow graduates from
around the nation and the world
-- an opportunity to change the
world for the better.
This moment in time is also
symbolic. It symbolizes the end of
one thing, but also the beginning of
something new. You will have new
opportunities, make new friends,
and overcome new challenges in
ways we’re only beginning to con-
ceive. Thanks to the Coronavirus,
you will also have new ways of
At What Cost?
A forgotten letter to my
future graduating self
s elaM g etu
When I have writer’s
block I often read my di-
aries. I’ve never found a
perfect thesis statement in
them and I don’t believe
it’s caused any lightbulb
moments, but I do it any-
way. Unsure of what could possibly sum up all
that I’ve been thinking and feeling during quar-
antine and my years at Jefferson, I pulled out
by
studying and learning, interacting
with others, and new leadership
roles for you to assume.
You will help show us what this
new world can look like. A world
where everyone has the health
care they need, the education they
deserve, the income that human
dignity demands. Where the pres-
ence of clean air and water aren’t a
luxury but a constant companion.
Where the barriers that held some
back while others prospered fade
away. Where black lives matter.
Where everyone, in every circum-
stance, has the freedom to fully
enjoy the gift of life.
We’ll be here to encourage and
support you in this critically need-
ed work, but we’ll need your voic-
the diaries, picked some pages, and read. This
time, however, I found something of actual use:
A forgotten letter to my future graduating self.
Saturday, June 3, 2017 6:39 p.m. Dear
Selam, I’m pretty sure the seniors are at their
graduation ceremony right now so I thought
I’d write this for you to read when you’re in
their shoes. You’re probably in your cap and
gown waiting to begin the end of this chapter
of your life. Hopefully you have cords around
your neck and maybe a speech in your pock-
et. Regardless, these past few years have been
leading up to this moment, so take a deep
breath because it’ll be over soon.
Do you remember your first day of high
school? The excitement, butterflies, fear?
How do you feel now? Do you think it was
worth it? I sure hope so.
Dr. Karin Edwards
es, time and talent to lead the way.
We are proud of you, Dem-
os! The future is yours to cre-
ate. Go big.
Dr. Karin Edwards,
Portland Community College-
Cascade Campus president
Your journey hasn’t been easy, but you’ve
kept going. You’ve studied hard for every test,
toiled over every essay, and I want you to
know how much I love you for that, for all the
stress you put yourself under to build a prom-
ising road ahead for us.
I hope you were able to keep straight A’s
and a 4.0 gpa during these past years and nev-
er let yourself doubt your intelligence. I hope
you’ve gotten into your dream college and are
leaving this small city. And I hope you’ve fig-
ured out what you’re passionate about, what
you want to spend your life doing. Mostly I
just hope you’re not afraid anymore.
At 15 years old, I also have a few questions.
Who are your closest friends at the moment?
Have you gone on a date? Did you ever run for
student body president? I’m curious.
You
Made
My Year
Dear 2020 Seniors,
Those of you who were in
MEChA (Movimiento Estudi-
antil Chicano de Aztlán, the or-
ganization promoting Chicano
unity and empowerment) gave
me so much hope.
I was worried coming into
Jefferson that I would not find
students to be part of the program-
ming, but within minutes you all
came into my life. From then on
I got to see you everyday in the
classroom. I got to see you change
and grow in just a few months.
I saw most of you prosper
and your personalities be more
present. You all made me think
about what support I would
have wanted at your age. From
talking about school, to sharing
all your hopes and dreams, you
all made me so proud.
I am upset that I only got to
be part of your lives at the end of
your high school career, but just
know you made my year. I will
always be supporting you guys no
matter what. Thank you for all the
laughs, sarcasm and great music.
Love, Fabi Mascote
Dear Lulu,
Emely,
Sebastian,
Yunior and
Misael,
Felicidades! You made it!
When I met all of you I saw
young powerful leaders and you
have all proved to be just that. I
wish you the very best in all you
do. Please remember to never
give up even when life gets diffi-
cult. Push yourself till you reach
your goals then push yourself
a little more till you reach your
next goal! Si se Puede!!
Sincerely,
Sofia Dominguez and the
Latino Network Familia