Feature

A Look at Past Senior Class Gifts

Part of the legacy of many senior graduating classes is the class gift, presented to the school at graduation.

Tanner Pasternak, Staff Writer • January 30, 2026

San Juan Hill’s High School is adjourned with spirited flags across campus. These banners, along with other signs, statues, and artwork can be found around school, courtesy of each graduating senior class. The next time you walk around campus look around for things that “Ride for the Brand”, they most likely are from the funds of a generous senior class.

San Juan Hills High School opened up its doors for the first time in 2007, welcoming students into a brand-new campus with school pride waiting to be built. Since then, students have created memories and shaped the culture in a way that makes our school unique. Over the years, a handful of graduating seniors classes have tokened their appreciation for our high school while celebrating their final moments throughout the year before college.

These gifts were more than just physical items, rather they were symbols of appreciation, unity, and shared experiences that defined each class’s time at our high school. The Activities Director, Brooke Valderrama and Principal, Cina Abedzadeh shine a light on a few of these class gifts from the past.

Click each to take a deeper dive into past senior gifts

Renaming Vista Montana to Stallion Ridge

(Google Maps)

“The best senior class gift we had [was when] they renamed Vista Montana to Stallion Ridge,” said Valderrama. It was a civic engagement project led by the class of 2016 where students at the time talked to the San Juan Capistrano City Council. This street is widely known as the entrance to campus. Interestingly, the final approval of changing the name of the street happened in 2016 due to the fact that previous attempts in 2015 were unsuccessful. For more information, The Express wrote a story on this topic on May 18, 2016.

RFTB Letters

(Kate Kowalski)

“It was so plain in our gym [before the letters]. So I think just looking for something that was semi-affordable helped decorate our gym a little bit,” mentioned Valderrama. RFTB (Ride For The Brand) has been a consistent motto for our high school, and thanks to contributions from the class of 2012, our gym has big and beautiful RFTB letters. In fact, RFTB chants were adopted in 2012 to build school unity and it has been fully embraced in the following years.

Metal Stallion Statue

(Kate Kowalski)

“The senior class president, Ryan St. Onge, found this cool metal horse driving out towards Palm Springs. [Him and a few friends] found it on the side of the freeway and they thought that would be pretty cool. They had a company come in and do the cement basing [so that the statue could remain] structurally safe,” stated Valderrama. The plaque underneath the statue reads: “This Sculpture Made Possible Through Efforts And Contributions From The Class Of 2013 With Special Thanks To Rancho Mission Viejo.”

Stone in the Badlands

(Kate Kowalski)

“Brooke Montgomery led the charge on this one,” highlighted Valderrama. The base of the stone used to be a flagpole. However, the location seemed to be poorly planned since it was fairly difficult to pledge allegiance to a flag that had its view obstructed by the scoreboard in the Badlands. The stone replaced the flagpole and the flag moved locations. The backside of the stone features the SJH logo and a quote provided by the Class of 2020: “Through adversity comes strength. Through strength comes greatness.” Though these seniors were denied the opportunity to walk at graduation, they dedicated this stone in the heart of the Badlands—reclaiming the space where they should have been able to celebrate this milestone.

LED Marquees at the Theater and Administration

(Brielle Lee)

“It was a dual project between PTSA. They raised about sixteen grand and the senior class gave whatever they had at the time, around a few thousand dollars. Then, ASB piggybacked and paid the rest of it,” said Valderrama. There are two signs–one by the theater and one by administration. The screen outside the theater states that it was “donated by the Class of 2015 and the SJHHS PTSA.”

Although senior gifts have stopped on our campus since 2020, the impact of these special and unique contributions from past graduating classes is still visible today. Each gift represents a moment in our school’s history and reflects the spirit and values of the students who left it behind for future students. Even as traditions change over time, the legacy of senior gifts keeps the connection between current students and those who came before them. Remembering these contributions helps honor the history of the campus and the students who assisted in the process of establishing it.

Donate to The Express

$585

$800

Contributed

Our Goal

Your donation will support the student journalists of San Juan Hills High School. Your contribution will allow us to cover our annual professional memberships as well as equipment and other costs associated with bringing you high quality student journalism.

About the Contributors

Tanner Pasternak, Staff Writer

Tanner Pasternak is a senior at San Juan Hills and this is his first year on The Express team. Over the years, he has grown his writing skills through demanding English classes and is excited to play a role for the school’s newspaper. Tanner plays for the varsity volleyball team, is involved in a handful of clubs, and is a member of Link Crew. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with friends, going to the gym, and traveling to new places. He hopes to attend a college in a fun, largely-populated city such as New York, Boston, or Los Angeles while pursuing a degree in psychology.

Kate Kowalski, Staff Writer

Kate Kowalski is a senior at San Juan Hills High School. As a first-time member of The Express newspaper, she’s excited to make an impact in her community by creating meaningful work and strengthening relationships with her classmates. Outside of The Express, she enjoys having Bible study with her friends and spending time with family. Kate has a passion for all the arts, but specifically in film as she has a newfound love for Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle) and Damien Chazelle (La La Land, Whiplash). Kate is a co-founder of SJHHS’s Made for More club and loves spending her evenings at Young Life events.

Comments (0)

The Express intends this area to foster healthy, thought-provoking discussion. Comments, which are subject to review by The Express staff before they appear, must be respectful, constructive and not embarrass or ridicule any person or group of people. Comments made here may appear online if approved. The Express does not allow anonymous comments and we require a valid email address. The email address will not be displayed, but will be used to confirm your comments.

Share your thoughts...

All The Express Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest