New Hope Charter School sends off last grad class

New Hope Charter School grads receive their diplomas during the graduation ceremony June 7 at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Lodi. (Mary Min Vincent/News-Sentinel)

By Julie Z. Giese
News-Sentinel staff writer

After just three years of educating students, New Hope Charter School bid farewell to its last graduating class amid a standing-room-only crowd Friday.

Several hundred family and friends packed the auditorium of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church to celebrate the Class of 2002, bringing balloons, flowers and even cowbells.

Sixty-six seniors donned purple caps and gowns to receive their diplomas from the independent study charter school.

The school, which served about 600 kindergarten through 12th-grade students, will close at the end of the month.

The rural New Hope Elementary School District sponsored the charter for three years, but challenges overseeing the growing program caused district officials to rethink the partnership.

Some of New Hope charter students will be served by the San Joaquin County Office of Education’s one.charter, a similar independent study program, Principal Christina Kuehne said.

The county decided to start a satellite campus in Lodi next month, said Kuehne, who will work as the school’s site administrator.

Marie Maggiano, New Hope Charter’s top student this year, was selected as the graduation’s student speaker.

She shared some of her journey in reaching the milestone and told the seniors to not be afraid of trying something new or dwell upon the past.

Maggiano also encouraged her peers to work toward their dreams and not doubt themselves.

“No one knows what you’re capable of — not even you,” she said.

Also at the graduation, senior Nick Frankel performed a song with three friends in an a cappella group.

Lafayette Mims, 17, had an ear-to-ear grin as he visited with family and friends after the ceremony.

“I’m grown now,” he said proudly. “And I’m moving on to college.”

Mims plans to attend California State University, Fresno, to study psychology.

Kim Rigato was also excited about achieving the milestone, but had some reservations.

“I’m going to miss by friends,” the 17-year-old said.

Rigato plans to move to San Diego, get a job and later attend college. She also hopes own a fashion design business in the future.

The teen was happy to have the opportunity to attend the independent study charter school.

“It was way better than anything out there,” she said.