Parents, friends, teachers and graduating seniors gathered at Riverbank High School recently to celebrate various honors and awards being presented to members of the RHS Class of 2025.

The May 15 program began with awards presented to students. There were 10 listed, although some were made to a number of students, while others just went to one or two.

The 10 awards presented to the seniors were mostly done by administrators, such as Principal Ed Vaca, or teachers.

They included things like service, or appreciation awards, or honors such as Salutatorian, Valedictorian, California Scholastic Federation or National Honor Society awards.

Then, there were the scholarship awards, presented by teachers, community members or staff members.

There were 31 presentations listed, with many going to individual seniors, but some were awarded to groups. Many were memorializing a former student or former teacher or administrator.

And some seniors received more than one scholarship.

Many of the presentations were for $250 to $500, but one, from the University of California Santa Barbara, was for $15,000.

At the end of the hour and a half evening, right at 7:30 p.m., Principal Vaca told the seniors to note the time on their watches.

He pointed out to them that in exactly two weeks, they’d be lining up on the football field for graduation.