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Grads celebrated by families in big ways
Scarlett Lloyd
Central Valley High School senior Scarlett Lloyd was surprised to see her family’s yard adorned with various celebratory expressions for her upcoming graduation.

Soon-to-be Central Valley High School graduate Scarlett Lloyd couldn’t help but smile while looking at the front of her house last Thursday. What she saw were banners, signs, pictures, balloons and streamers.

Lloyd’s family – parents, sister and grandparents – found a unique way to honor her with celebratory decorations.

Her father Chris even rented a traffic message board and programmed the message, Congrats Scarlett Lloyd.

“I love seeing it because it makes me feel special,” said Lloyd, who earned a softball scholarship to Wagner College in New York. “It brightens my day.”

“Little by little, we kept putting things up,” said Bellia Lloyd, Scarlett’s mother. “We did it because we wanted to lift her spirits up. We’re so proud of her.”

Graduation signs were passed out to seniors from Central Valley, Ceres High, Argus/Endeavor and Whitmore Charter when they picked up their caps and gowns.

Traditional, in-person graduations are not being staged this year. All school campuses in Stanislaus County were shut down for the remainder of the spring on April 1 due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

“It was another way for the high schools to celebrate this graduating class,” said Beth Jimenez, communications specialist for Ceres Unified School District. 

Ceres High’s Vianney Perez and Central Valley’s Kyle Hendrix both have two grad signs in their front yards.

“One that my mom ordered and one that the school gave us,” said Perez, who earned a softball scholarship to Cal State Monterey Bay. “Our school cares that much to make us feel good as seniors. We all appreciate that. We’re a very blessed class.”

Hendrix’s mother made one of the signs.

“It shows our families and schools are thinking about us,” said Hendrix, who plans to enroll at Modesto Junior College this fall.

Elias Saldana’s parents placed three signs in their front yard and one in the back to honor him.

Saldana and other Ceres High wrestlers each received a personalized sign along with a memory book.

“It was cool they (Casey Paulino, Derek Young and Curtis Hulstine) did something for us,” said Saldana, who will major in business at Sacramento State.

Central Valley’s Isaac Juarez and Ceres High’s Victor Hurtado both have one sign displayed in front of their houses.

“When I see it, it reminds me of everything that’s going on and what we weren’t able to experience as seniors,” said Juarez, who earned a soccer scholarship to Stanislaus State. “I try to focus on the positives.”

“It makes me proud to be a Bulldog,” said Hurtado, who has yet to finalize his college plans. 


Graduate Elias Saldana
Ceres High School senior Elias Saldana is being celebrated by his parents in their yard.
Kyle Hendrix
Central Valley High School senior Kyle Hendrix stands in his front yard which bears ample signs of celebratory displays upon his graduation.
Grad Vianney Perez
Vianney Perez tries out her Ceres High cap and gown during the COVID-19 lock-down.