Trustee, senior speakers urge graduates to 'soar' and carry La Quinta roots forward

Trisha Pierce, area 3 trustee for the Desert Sands Unified School District Board of Education, and senior speakers at La Quinta High School’s commencement urged the Class of 2025 to use education, character and community ties as they move forward.

“As a board member I’ve had the privilege of seeing the big picture,” Trisha Pierce said in her remarks. “Congratulations Blackhawks. Soar boldly, soar bravely, and always soar with purpose.”

Pierce framed the ceremony as both a celebration of achievement and a reminder of community roots in the Coachella Valley, saying graduates should carry their school and valley with them as they advance. Her remarks highlighted perseverance, integrity and the many paths graduates may take after high school.

Student speakers reinforced those themes. Kimura Salter, identified as senior class president, reflected on four years at La Quinta and encouraged students to get involved and persevere. Evelyn Zepeda Ortiz, the distinguished senior speaker, told peers they could “change your family cycle” and urged graduates to write their own narratives rather than be defined by past mistakes. Alexis Domingo, ASB executive president and an International Baccalaureate diploma recipient, thanked family and teachers and emphasized gratitude, community and ambition; she said she will attend the University of California, San Diego to study pharmacological chemistry.

Speakers across the program combined gratitude to teachers and families with calls to embrace challenge, ask for help when needed and remember the connections formed at La Quinta as graduates move to college, careers or other next steps.