Grossmont High School senior class president Panagiota Georggin welcomed more than 400 classmates gathered Thursday, June 4, at Jack Mashin Stadium for the 2026 Grossmont High School graduation ceremony, reflecting on how endings often mark new beginnings.
“The word ‘commencement’ is defined as a beginning — the start of something new,” Georggin said. “And while it may feel strange to call this ‘the beginning’ when it marks the end of our four years here at Grossmont High School, it is exactly that. A brand-new beginning.”
Goerggin then added a reminder that “today isn’t defined by what we are leaving behind but
instead by the endless possibilities that await us.”
And so it was, as 444 Grossmont students earned their diplomas on a sunny, breezy morning in El Cajon, each on their way to a new beginning.
Grossmont Union High School District Governing Board Member Dr. Gary Woods shared news that the United States Department of Education has recognized Grossmont “as one of the most diverse high schools in the nation… distinguished not only by its student body but also by the excellence of its teachers and the quality, state-of-the-art facilities.”
Grossmont valedictorians Delia Sitze, Garrett Bowles and Jackson Meyer spoke about the importance of all graduates to write their own story, about being kind and staying curious.
Sitze shared a “12-chapter” synopsis of school — from Chapter 1 of walking into kindergarten with sharpened pencils, untied shoes and big dreams, to the halfway point when school was shut down because of COVID, to Chapter 12 of the current times.
“This chapter is almost over, but ‘today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten,’ ” Sitze said, quoting from a 2004 song by Natasha Bedingfield.
Bowles also shared thoughts about how his classmates should see graduation as “an opportunity ahead: an unfinished book, where we get to write the next chapter.” He said that in the crowd, he saw greatness in each one of his classmates, and said that “in the near and distant future, you will not be remembered for your grades, likes, or popularity, but by the kind of person you were, your impact on others.”
Bowles explained that success isn’t measured in “only money, fame, or recognition, it is the
thoughtfulness and small acts of kindness that brighten someone’s day and give them hope for tomorrow. That is the legacy you want to leave behind.”
Salutatorian Abigail Payne shared “The Starfish Story,” about how making a difference in the world, even for one living thing, is worthwhile.
It has also been a year of new beginnings for the oldest school in the GUHSD.
Grossmont is the second-oldest public high school in San Diego County, opening in 1920.
Grossmont Principal Doug Martin has been at the helm for less than two months. Martin, an assistant principal at El Cajon Valley High for nearly 10 years, took over in April for Dan Barnes, Grossmont’s previous principal for the last 15 years.
In early Spring, Barnes accepted a new position with the GUHSD as a Director of College and Career Readiness. Martin’s daughter, Madelyn, a junior varsity tennis player and actor in the school’s theater program, was also a feel-good part of Grossmont’s 2026 graduating class.
Diagnosed with leukemia her freshman year, Maddy Martin “rang the bell” last year to mark the end of chemotherapy treatment. Martin said her plans include becoming a nurse in pediatric oncology. Her advice to her classmates is: “Live every day like it’s your last. Because you never know…”
Competitions in sports were also a plus for Grossmont this year in San Diego CIF action.
Martin talked about the strength of Grossmont High athletics, winning 11 league championships in Grossmont Conference play – football, girls and boys volleyball, girls and boys soccer, girls and boys lacrosse, girls basketball, boys water polo and boys tennis. Martin said that four programs made state playoffs – girls basketball, swimming, track & field, and unified sports. And Martin reminded attendees that it was a “three-peat” for the school’s cheerleading team.
“Class of 2026, all of you are and will continue to be the finest ambassadors of Grossmont
goodwill,” Martin said.
