St. Mary of the Assumption School students from 1938 to present day recently celebrated the school’s first “all-alumni” reunion by telling stories and reconnecting with old friends they hadn’t seen in years.
Two of the school’s newest alumni, who graduated only eight hours earlier in the day, joined students from years past, including Doris Flake Spencer, who was a member of the school’s second graduating class.
“It was wonderful seeing so many excited alumni and hearing their stories. This really is a special place,” St. Mary principal Michelle Cox said in a press release. “The St. Mary’s school family is huge. We’ve had thousands of students attend classes. They’ve shaped Santa Maria for decades as excellent role models for their children, business leaders, teachers, mayor, police and firemen, City Council members, state representatives, and much more.”
Santa Maria Mayor Larry Lavagnino, who attended St. Mary from 1941 to 1949, entertained his fellow alumni with several stories of life at the school.
“What an education I received,” Lavagnino said. “They took a 5-year old kid, taught him how to read and write; taught him what was right and wrong. That is the foundation I’ve stood on for over 70 years.”
School Scene is compiled by Managing Editor Amy Asman. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Jun 28 – Jul 5, 2012.