By Camas Frank
Photos by Sandprints Photography

Every class that passes through San Luis Obispo High School has a lot of milestones under its caps.
This year though marked two big ones for the school and its administration. The graduating class rang in at 380 students, the largest in recent memory and a spike in population. Next year’s graduating class is expected to be about 310. The Class of 2015 is also very near and dear to SLO High Principal Leslie O’Conner.
He came to the school in 2011 along with the kids who graduated last Friday. Originally from Ireland, O’Conner had a long career in Bakersfield before moving his young family to the Central Coast.
“These are the kids we started with four years ago,” he said, reminiscing ahead of his commencement speech. “I was proud of each of the three classes that have graduated but this is a very special group. I’ve known them all for the longest time and seen their struggles and growth. To me its a high degree of personal gratification in seeing them succeed.”
Friday won’t be the last time we see many of these students, although a lot of them will be heading out of town for further education.
“Ninety percent of our 2015 class are going on to some form of continuing education,” said O’Conner. “Fifty-four of our students are going right into Cal Poly, which I think speaks to their ability. A hundred and seventy-six are going straight into a 4-year college and about 40 percent are entering a Jr. College or trade school. One student is entering into the Army.
The Class of 2015 did not experience the direct loss of their grade cohorts, but during the last four years three current and recent grads have died. Most recently in the infamous shooting spree in Santa Barbara.
“Three kids lost in four years is not something any principal wants to see,” said O’Conner, “We thought of including a remembrance this year but it doesn’t fit. Some of the graduating class knew them, but it’s not something we felt fit for this group.”
For his speech sending the students out into the world O’Conner wanted to emphasis some of what makes SLO’s kids special, namely the inclusive and open hearted nature of this generation.
A recent example was the embrace of “International Happy Day.” Students rented a bubble machine for the roof of the Administration Building and the senior class went around distributing smiley face stickers to any and everyone. A large portion of the event was intended to make new students feel welcome.
“It takes a lot of guts to break out of the mold and embrace new peers,” said O’Conner. “I can’t express what a really good, kind, group of kids this is. There’s a culture of inclusiveness and passion, of ‘We’ rather that ‘I’.”
Asked for the one thing he’d like to be able to say directly to students leaving SLO High, O’Conner said, “I want to thank them for being an amazing group of young people, who have literally changed my life.”
For more photos of the June 12 graduation ceremony and individual students involved go online to: www.sandprintsphotos.com. (Charlotte ‘Ginger’ DiNunzio, Sandprints’ chief photographer and owner was on hand with a larger number of beautiful and interesting shots than we’re able to publish.)