More than 700 Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) seniors graduated last week in ceremonies marked by cheers, tears, gratitude and words of wisdom from adult and student speakers alike.

“I want to thank the staff here for believing in me when I barely believed in myself,” said Jalissa Manning during her Island High School graduation speech. Turning to her fellow graduates, she added, “And remember, never let someone else write your story for you.”

The graduates are heading off now to University of California and California State University campuses, state community colleges, public universities in other states, private colleges across the country, the military, jobs and travel. More than two dozen students received scholarships and awards from local community members and organizations that were presented as follows below.

Lou Allen Scholarship: $500, awarded to Iris Ko (Encinal Junior and Senior High School)

Susan Scott Scholarship: $1,000, awarded to Jiarui Wu (Encinal High)

Paul Hardy Parker Scholarship: $5,000, awarded to Nicholas Nguyen (Encinal High)

Paul Hardy Parker Scholarship: $5,000, awarded to Milo Hartlaub (Alameda High School)

Florinda Bartalini Scholarship: $1,000, awarded to Katlyn Woo (Alameda High)

Marlene and Steve Kofman Scholarship: $3,000, awarded to Abby Foley Hayton (Alameda High)

Abraham and Sarah Kofman Scholarship: $500, awarded to Declan Daly (Encinal High)

Abraham and Sarah Kofman Scholarship: $500, awarded to Kayvon Nash (Alameda High)

Cox/Hollywood Scholarship: $500, awarded to Samantha Zawacki (Alameda High)

Sally Gallagher Scholarship: $1,500, awarded to Violet LaVietes (Alameda High)

Beatrice B. Barrett Scholarship: $1,000, awarded to Kyan Mui (Alameda High)

Faculty Choice Award: $100, awarded to Andre Poche (Island High School)

Faculty Choice Award: $100, awarded to Jalissa Manning (Island High)

Kathy Duncan Memorial Art Award: $200, awarded to Carl Julian Pagud (Island High)

Larry Church Award: $200, awarded to Kamron Butler (Island High)

Rey Cruz Award: $200, awarded to Ibrahim Al Jubory (Island High)

Ted Anderson Award: $200, awarded to Kyle Gordon (Island High)

We at the AUSD would also like to thank Alexa Asturias, an Alameda High special education teacher who received this year’s Irene Wyman MacDonald Teaching Award for $1,000. We are grateful to the many organizations and community members who support our students as they leave our district for this next stage of their life journeys, and we’re eager to see what our graduates do next!

Reach Susan Davis, the Alameda Unified School District’s senior manager for community affairs, at 510-337-7175 or SDavis@alamedaunified.org.