In a heartfelt celebration of milestones and memories, 91 graduates crossed the stage to cheers, glitter, and hope for the future
It’s one of those marvelous memorable rite of passage moments. A school official announces a graduating student’s name — their full name given at birth that is only used at such formal occasions — and their family and friends cheer loudly and launch colorful, cheerful, loud, and celebratory glitter bombs sending bits of brilliantly sparkling glitter flying to highlight their favorite graduate and make them shine even more.
Buoyed by the traditional Imperial March, Pomp & Circumstance OPUS 39 No. 1, and the national anthem, an enthusiastic crowd gathered on the athletic field, delighted to witness 91 Malibu High School graduates receive their diplomas. The smiles and the thumbs up revealed that each graduate is eager to begin his next journey but a wee bit sad to leave colleagues and the familiarity of MHS behind.
ASB President Tara Deluca and Senior Class President Payton Pollack delivered speeches that magically blended inspiration, aspirations and humor, as did students Kylie Epstein and Sean Perl. “We’ll still call you parents when we can’t find the ketchup in the fridge,” Perl promised, eliciting giggles and applause. Waxing philosophical, he added, “The memories we’ve gathered in this school will provide the soundtracks of our lives and we should remember that we don’t have to have everything fully figured out — we should find what makes us feel alive.”
Eight students share the hard-earned title of Valedictorian. Alexandria Burke and Caidyn Ovsiowitz will attend UCLA, Logan Epstein will attend USC, Chloe Loquet will attend Stanford University, Emma Marshall will attend Sarah Lawrence College, Jolie Tantet will go to Northeastern University, and the University of North Carolina campus will welcome Hank Norby and Isabelle Morriss.
Special awards for the arts
The faculty conferred some special recognition awards on several students, emphasizing how diversely skilled the class of 2025 was.
“Trent Williams received my photography award — he is a talented photographer who thoughtfully researches his subjects and consistently produces stunning images,” Carla Bowman-Smith said. “His love for photography is evident in his exceptional AP portfolio. I’ve admired his clear passion for the craft and look forward to the future he creates. His work speaks for itself, and I’m confident he will continue to excel — not only in photography, but in all areas of art and life.”
Sean Perl was recognized with the orchestra award. “Sean has been an outstanding student from the moment he picked up the violin,” Dr. Maia Zander said. “He joined our orchestra program in the seventh grade — three years later than most of his peers. However, he quickly closed the gap through dedication and hard work. Today, he stands as one of our strongest and most reliable players. Regardless of how tired he may be or what challenges he’s facing in his own life, Sean consistently shows up with a positive attitude, a bright smile, and an exceptional work ethic. He’s not only a remarkable musician and student, but also a truly kind and admirable person. We all will miss him deeply.”
Athletic recognitions
Malibu Sharks ABC posted on social media about the Sharks’ “favorite trio” as they bid farewell to MHS sports and embark on their next adventures. “Talulla Murphree has been a powerhouse, competing in five varsity sports — swimming, water polo, track and field, and cross country — and she made it all the way to states in her athletic journey,” The post stated. “Ranger Murphree has shown exceptional versatility, participating in varsity cross country, swimming, track & field, CIF qualifier and JV soccer and Wiley Murphree brought energy and excellence to Varsity track & field and JV soccer and holds a school record.” Talulla and Ranger are heading to University of California, Berkeley, while Wiley will attend the University of California, Davis.
Another Shark, MHS basketball standout Dylan Goosen, will continue his athletic career playing in Division I at the University of Utah.
Not all students participated only in school-based sports. Allegra Barzan and Jaden Mitchel contributed to the extracurricular surf team.
“Jaden joined the surf team in sixth grade and has stayed committed to it more than almost anyone else I’ve ever coached,” Coach John Cross shared. “He stepped up big time in the last couple years as team captain, and he brought his best effort to every practice and contest — he is a role model for how to be a great human.”
Commenting about Allegra’s prowess, Cross said, “Allegra is the smoothest and most stylish local longboarder I’ve seen since Casia Meador.” Barzan will attend Parsons School of Design in New York City.
“I started longboarding for the Malibu Sharks in the sixth grade and it’s been a wonderful experience waking up early to surf at Zuma before school — it is a privilege that few people have — we are so fortunate to swim most of the time surrounded by beautiful dolphins,” Barzan said. “I want to thank Coach John Cross for always sharing such amazing energy with all of us and it’s been a blessing to be a part of Malibu’s family-like community.”
A full 95 percent of the graduates will matriculate to an academic institution of higher learning, one is taking a gap year and two special education graduates will carry on enjoying life and blessing all around them as they participate in other programs.
Two graduates will venture beyond America’s shores to attend schools abroad. Thea Lefevre will attend Paris College of Music and Audrey Hamre will attend SKEMA Business School in Lille, France.
“I’m a proud papa!” said Mark Loquet, Chloe Loquet’s father. “Everything going towards Chloe’s dream is moving so fast, and my wife and I want to thank some special teachers, including Sean Ryan, Chloe’s social studies teacher, and Adam Panish, who taught her AP government — all I can say is MHS got Chloe ready for Stanford.”
Loquet and several other parents expressed deep gratitude to Panish, who is retiring this year.
“Fergus will do something wildly special,” said Katherine Flanagan as she shared her admiration for her son. “He’s going to do something very incredible.”
Semira Bell smiled broadly, basking in the warm embraces of her large family. “Semira’s going to Howard University!” proud papa Kevin Bell declared. “She wants to be an OB/GYN!”
Nearby, Cynthia Rayo was warmly embraced by her clan. Her abuela, Rosa Veledias, beamed with pride and through a family translator, she shared, “Cynthia is a good girl — she is a girl who wants to be a leader and I’m very proud that she plans to have her own business offering salon and nail services.”
As the convocation ended, families and friends lingered on the field, cherishing the moments and knowing that soon, their graduates’ new journeys will begin, sending them off into a world beyond the cocoon of Malibu.
At the top of the graduation program, an inscription from the Malibu Education Foundation, a parent-led organization that tirelessly supports students, teachers, administrators, coaches, and counselors, aptly stated what many in our community would like to say to all our graduates: “Your community is proud of you — go forward with confidence, curiosity, and heart!”
Malibu High School bids farewell to the Class of 2025 as 91 graduates cross the stage amid cheers, glitter, and heartfelt celebration.
Photos by Bradley Griffin