By ROSE ALBANO RISSO

The Bulletin

These are hectic days for high school seniors, but exciting at the same time. Graduation is about a month away. And for many of the graduating seniors, this is also the time to get everything in order for that giant leap to the next chapter in their lives – to the college or university of their choice, whether it be the junior college in Stockton or Modesto, University of California or California State University, an Ivy League school on the East Coast, or elsewhere in the United States.

But first, the soon-to-be graduates have their graduation ceremonies to think about, the highlight of their four-year toil in their secondary education.

Approximately 2,000 seniors in the Manteca Unified and Ripon Unified school districts will be marching to the celebratory strains of Pomp & Circumstance in May. Graduation dates for all seven comprehensive high schools – two in Ripon and five in Manteca, Lathrop, and French Camp within the Manteca Unified jurisdiction – are all taking place toward the end of the fourth week in May.

Below is a schedule – dates and locations – of the high school graduations, and the names of the valedictorians and salutatorians of the Class of 2013:

• East Union High School – Thursday, May 23, 7 p.m., Dino Cunial Stadium; valedictorian, Kimberly LaMar; salutatorian, Collin Scholl.

• Manteca High – Thursday, May 23, 7 p.m., Guss Schmiedt Field; valedictorians, Derek Benson and Jenny Yu; salutatorians, Amanda Christensen and Wendy Lin.

• Sierra High – Friday, May 24, 7 p.m., Daniel Teicheira Memorial Stadium; valedictorian, Alex Orr; salutatorian, Rajbir Sooth.

• Lathrop High School – Friday, May 24, 7 p.m., Bennie Gatto Stadium. Names of valedictorian and salutatorian not available at press time.

• Weston Ranch – Thursday, May 24, 7 p.m. in the school’s football field. Valedictorian and salutatorian not available at this time.

• Ripon Christian High School – Friday, May 24, 7 p.m. in the high school gymnasium.  Valedictorian, Taylor Vos; salutatorian, Kathryn Donoho.

• Ripon High School – Friday, May 24, 7 p.m., in the school’s football field. Valedictorian, Ruth Waters; salutatorian, Samantha Evans.

Contact Rose Albano Risso at ralbanorisso@mantecabulletin.com or at (209) 249-3536.