Ericka Anaya, Arianna DeBarros, Gavriela Garcia and Sylvia Rocha reflected on the past nine years at Sequoia Elementary School.

They recalled at Tuesday’s eighth-grade promotion exercises at Winter Gymnasium in Manteca High being in kindergarten and singing the “Scooby Doo” theme song.

In second grade, they had a field trip to the Sacramento Zoo and were the “big kids” at the old Sequoia Annex.

They also had fond memories of leaving home for the first time to attend science camp otherwise known as the San Joaquin County Office of Education Outdoor Education Program at Camp Jones Gulch in La Honda.

On this day, 66 led by valedictorian Brianna Rodriguez – she and Cruz Jeffery also received the Character Counts Award – had one more lasting memory together, receiving their promotion certificate for high school.  Principal Lisa Herrin presented the Class of 2015 to Manteca Unified Superintendent Jason Messer, who officially accepted the group.

Prior to that, Kianna Day and Rodriguez had the honors of welcoming the parents, family, friends and guests to the special occasion while leading in the “Pledge of Allegiance.”

Rodriguez, in her valedictorian speech – she received that honor by maintaining a 4.0 grade point average during the past two years – thanked her parents and teachers for helping her achieve her goals.

Jeffrey along with Devin Galan and Omar Sanchez gave recognition to their seventh- and eighth-grade faculty, consisting of Larry Cardoso, Tara Maruyama, Elizabeth Oyarzabal, Cathryn Gross, Ramon Jimenez, Jasmin Mim, Becky Herger, and Andrew Perez.

The Class of 2015 consisted of the following:

Erika Anaya, Riley Artery, Zachary Belcher, Faith Burgos, Ramon Castellanos, Jorge Cedano, Brian Cierra, Erick Davila, Kiana Day, Arianna DeBarros, Frank Delgado, Preston Due, Kemi Flores, Syrenity Fuentes, Devin Galan, Gavriela Garcia, Raul Garcia, Hannah Gonzales, Amy Guzman, Tony Hackett, Hunter Halleck, Kayla Hornbuckle, Jessica Huerta, Alejandro Jauregui Munoz, Cruz Jeffrey, Elizabeth Jimenez, Luis Juarez Tovar, Izah Laurant, Hannah Lomker, Richard Lopez, Salvador Lopez, Aaron Nieves Manzano Hernandez, Samantha Marmolejo.

Jocylin Martinez, Alondra Mejia, Arianna Melena, Sienna Miranda, Ismael Munoz, Marc Navarrette, Socorro Ochoa, Edwin Padilla, Richard Parra Sanchez, Ashley Perez-Barajas, Melissa Perry, Joshua Pfeifer, Samantha Robles Reyes, Sylvia Rocha, Brianna Rodriguez, Elena Rodriguez, Rogelio Rodriguez, Azucena Rodriguez Vargas, Omar Sanchez, Estrella Sandoval, Mackenzie Schneider, Alyssa Schwanker, Brenda Silva, Maria Valencia, Maria Ventura, Polo Joaquin Vidas, Jose Villafan, Natalie Zamora and Gabriella Zaramskas.