ATHERTON, Calif., May 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Sacred Heart Preparatory (SHP) awarded 157 diplomas at its 128th high school commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 21, on Gator Nation Field.

Graduates will attend at least 74 different higher education institutions: at least 68 students will study in California, 88 will study out of state, and one will study internationally. One graduate will attend the U.S. Military Academy, two will attend California community colleges, one will attend vocational school, and three will pursue a gap year. Their academic goals represent a wide breadth of interests, including STEM, the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

The Class of 2026 highlights both deep community roots and athletic excellence. Thirty members of the graduating class have attended Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton (SHS) for 12 or more years; the school also extended its 20-year streak of sending 15 or more student-athletes to the intercollegiate level, with 25 graduates to play 11 different sports in college.

At the ceremony, diplomas were presented by Marnie Marcin, chair of the Board of Trustees; Richard A. Dioli, director of schools; Jorge Reyes, assistant principal, curriculum and academics; and Jason Armstrong, assistant principal for athletics. Dioli gave remarks along with SHP Principal Dr. Jennie Whitcomb, valedictorian Oskar Herlitz, salutatorian Marcus To, and faculty speaker Armando del Rio.

Following a century-old school tradition, "Blue Ribbons" were awarded to select students, nominated by faculty and ratified by administration. Blue Ribbons are the highest honor given by SHS and reflect outstanding achievement in academics and standards of character in the fulfillment of one or more of the school's guiding Goals & Criteria.

In closing, valedictorian Oskar Herlitz said, "I beg you to build a life so vast and alive that fear can no longer shrink it. I beg you to protect the child in you that still looks at the world with those wonderstruck eyes and prove those scientists wrong. And when the world tells you to become smaller, safer, more certain, I beg that you continue reaching anyway."

ABOUT SACRED HEART SCHOOLS, ATHERTON
Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton (www.shschools.org) was founded in 1898 and is located on a 63-acre campus in Atherton, California. The Catholic, independent school is an accredited preschool through twelfth grade school, with a total enrollment of 1,185 students, and is a member of the International Network of Schools of the Sacred Heart.

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SOURCE Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton