Graduating high school seniors are often encouraged to reach for the stars as they embark on their adult lives but Waukegan High School Class of 2026 graduate Jose Mendoza — one of 10 to graduate summa cum laude — has a goal much closer to Earth than the stars in outer space.
Planning to use the mechanical engineering degree he intends to earn from Yale University to become a rocket scientist, Mendoza said he wants to work for the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), become an astronaut and be aboard the first mission to Mars.
“That’s exactly what I want to do,” he said. “I want to be part of that group.”
Mendoza was one of 955 students to earn their diplomas at the 153rd Waukegan High School graduation ceremony on Friday at an overflowing Weiss Field, with students heading to college, joining the workforce, serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, among other pursuits.
Approximately70% of the class will study at college or university, go to trade school, or join an apprenticeship program, according to information provided by Waukegan Community Unit School District 60. Scholarship offers of more than $7 million were awarded.
At the start of the 2025-2026 school year, District 60 eliminated class ranks but continued to compute grade point averages. Friday’s ceremonies marked the first since the policy went into effect, so there was no valedictorian or salutatorian.
A second-generation American, Mendoza said his grandparents immigrated from Mexico. Education was a priority in his household as he was progressing through school. He also hopes to play on the baseball team at Yale.
A member of the Illinois State Board of Education’s Student Advisory Board during his senior year, Yasir Espinoza is another summa cum laude graduate. He said he plans to study neurological science at Northwestern University with the goal of becoming a surgeon.
“It’s a way I can really help people,” he said. “I got a full scholarship. It’s close to home, so I can share the experience with my parents.”
A first-generation American, Espinoza said his parents came to the U.S. from Mexico. They had little formal education. He is the youngest of four siblings and credits family support as a major reason for his academic success.
When Hadassah Brown was a freshman four years ago, she attended a Waukegan Township event at the high school where representatives from Historically Black Colleges and Universities pitched their schools to local students. She knew then how she wanted to finance her education.
Fast forward to graduation day 2026. After earning all-state honors and establishing several school basketball records, Brown received an athletic scholarship. She said she will play for Louisiana State University next year. College basketball will be a start to a career in a game she loves.
“I’m going to see where it takes me,” she said. “I’m going to get a master’s degree and a Ph.D. I want to do something so I can inspire the youth. Being an athletic director is a big dream.”
Celeste Smith, another summa cum laude graduate, was also one of the two student speakers. She said she plans a double major at the University of Iowa — music education and music performance. Her speech was dotted with musical references.
“Music truly is a universal language,” she said. “It connects people, expresses what words sometimes cannot and tells stories that stay with us. Each of you has your own version of that music, whether it was found in a classroom, on a field, on a stage, or in the friendships you built along the way.”
Smith said she and her classmates will go in a variety of directions. It is a time to reflect and move forward, she said.
“What we’ve learned goes beyond assignments, Smith said. “We’ve learned how to adapt, how to communicate and how to be good people. High school has proven that we are capable of more than we ever expected.”
Though there was no valedictorian or salutatorian, the 10 students graduating summa cum laude with a grade point average of 4.8 or higher on a five-point scale were recognized by name.
Others graduating summa cum laude were Matthew Canda (Northwestern), Jamil Chuc (University of Michigan), Javier Granda (Princeton University), Bryan Nava (University of Wisconsin at Madison), Leonardo Rivera (University of Illinois at Champaign), Katherine Sajuan (College of Lake County) and Tiffani Skinner (University of Illinois at Champaign).
Genesis Rodriguez Ordenez also gave a graduation speech. She said she plans to be a professional in the healthcare field or psychology. Arriving with her family from Honduras at age 10, she had to deal with discrimination against women there. They were deprived of opportunities.
Giving her speech partly in English and partially in Spanish, Ordenez said she came to America with her mother and has not seen her father “in many years, but from a distance he taught me so much.” Though her future may be bright, she said she speaks for those who have grown up very fast.
“I speak for every student here who has had to grow up too fast,” Ordenez said. “Everyone who is working to help pay the bills, missing school to care for our siblings and facing adult decisions while we hide our tears behind the bathroom walls.”
Larry Roper will be entering an apprenticeship program in the Waukegan Hub of the clean energy jobs program of the state’s Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) plan. At one time, he said graduation was a question mark, but he earned the credits to receive his diploma and will have a trade.
“I’ll be doing something to make the world a better place,” he said. “Having a green job is the right way to go.”
Lead Co-Principal Dan Hill presided over his last Waukegan High graduation before he becomes principal of Maine West High School on July 1. He has been in the district for 24 years. The word “commencement” meant something to him as well as the Class of 2026.
“When we hear commencement, we often think of endings,” Hill said. “Commencement doesn’t mean ending. Commencement means beginning. Today is about what you’re stepping into. Every one of you is standing here today at the starting line of your new beginning.”
Round Lake High School also held its graduation ceremony on Friday, and Zion-Benton Township High School graduated its seniors on Sunday. Adlai Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire will hold its graduation on Friday, and North Chicago Community High School will do the same on Saturday.
