An enthusiastic crowd sent 36 Dolores High School graduates into the wider world during a festive commencement Thursday.

Inspiring speeches were delivered by Superintendent Reece Blincoe, social studies teacher Michael Nielson, valedictorian Erin Brown, salutatorian Shiloh Burger and class President Olivia Cosner.

“The gym was packed. I did not see an empty seat,” said science teacher Pete Swingle. “The crowd was so enthusiastic as the graduates marched in and the band played ”Pomp and Circumstance.“ The speeches were delivered with a lot of energy and were the best I’ve heard.”

Blincoe praised the resiliency of the graduating students and their ability to bounce back from the disruptions of the pandemic the past two years.

Graduates are taking various paths, Swingle said, from ongoing education and the military, to trade jobs, science and art careers.

“We’re very proud of all of them,” he said.