Commencement 2026: Class of 2026 Sets Sail
![Commencement 2026: Class of 2026 Sets Sail]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1781716101/stmonicachsorg/fhhntip86vcaieyxnwej/newspost64.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1781716101/stmonicachsorg/fhhntip86vcaieyxnwej/newspost64.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1781716101/stmonicachsorg/fhhntip86vcaieyxnwej/newspost64.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1781716101/stmonicachsorg/fhhntip86vcaieyxnwej/newspost64.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1781716101/stmonicachsorg/fhhntip86vcaieyxnwej/newspost64.jpg","width":1280}])
Commencement 2026: Class of 2026 Sets Sail
On a beautiful June evening last Friday, the Saint Monica Preparatory community gathered to celebrate the accomplishments, faith and perseverance of the Class of 2026. As graduates prepared to begin their next chapter, Salutatorian Jack Milligan, matriculating to the University of Notre Dame, reflected on a class that embraced every aspect of school life. “As a class we involved ourselves in everything — ASB, campus ministry, clubs and multiple sports, all at the same time,” he shared. “I cannot name one person in our class whose identity fits just one single thing, and that is what makes us truly special; we've become so interwoven in this way.”
Valedictorian Maile Ordonez, who will move on to Emory University, encouraged her classmates to embrace both the opportunities and challenges ahead. Reflecting on the growth of the past four years, she noted, “The class sitting here today is not the same group of people who walked onto campus as freshmen. We have new friendships, new interests, new goals, new fears and new reasons for believing in ourselves.” She reminded graduates that while high school feels monumental today, it is only one chapter in a larger story, urging them, “When something is hard, do it anyway. When something is new, do it anyway. When something feels uncomfortable, do it anyway. And when something is good, live in the moment. Pay attention.”
When an unexpected illness prevented scheduled commencement speaker and filmmaker Carlos Hurtado ’98 from attending, fellow Mariner alumna Roxanna Vega-Warmington ’97, SMPREP Director of Admissions, stepped in to deliver a heartfelt and powerful message. As the person who first accepted and welcomed the graduating class to SMPREP, she reflected on the remarkable ways they have grown through leadership, service, creativity and global experiences including those she took with them to Japan and Korea. “I have watched this class for four years. And what I have seen has moved me more than I can easily say...Your presence in these seats is not an accident,” she told the Class of 2026, reminding them that challenges and unexpected pivots are often part of God's plan.
Vega-Warmington concluded with a challenge inspired by Mother Teresa: “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.” She encouraged graduates to carry that mission into every classroom, workplace and community they enter. “Not to just succeed, but to leave people better. In every room you walk into, every team you join, every life you touch — bring something. Leave something. Make it count.”
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![Faith in Action: A Look Back at 2025-26]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1785871283/stmonicachsorg/zgfiozbddc58bbu2gyes/newspost12.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1785871283/stmonicachsorg/zgfiozbddc58bbu2gyes/newspost12.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1785871283/stmonicachsorg/zgfiozbddc58bbu2gyes/newspost12.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1785871283/stmonicachsorg/zgfiozbddc58bbu2gyes/newspost12.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1785871283/stmonicachsorg/zgfiozbddc58bbu2gyes/newspost12.png","width":1280}])
The final installment in our 2025-26 Year in Review series celebrates what lies at the heart of a Saint Monica Preparatory education: faith in action. From Transitional Kindergarten through Grade 12, Mariners embraced opportunities to deepen their relationship with God through prayer, the sacraments, service and leadership, discovering that faith is something they live every day.
The school year began with an extraordinary blessing as Msgr. Anthony Figueiredo traveled from Italy to campus with a relic of Saint Carlo Acutis, the first millennial saint and patron of technology.
Throughout the year, students continued to grow in their own faith journeys, celebrating First Communion, Confirmation and other Sacraments of Initiation while participating in schoolwide Masses and class-level retreats.
Faith also inspired Mariners to give back to the community, reflecting what makes SMPREP special — forming students who lead with compassion and serve with purpose throughout their communities.
![A Century on California Avenue]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1785276921/stmonicachsorg/xj5hwrvajzthwcukm2tq/newspost69.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1785276921/stmonicachsorg/xj5hwrvajzthwcukm2tq/newspost69.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1785276921/stmonicachsorg/xj5hwrvajzthwcukm2tq/newspost69.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1785276921/stmonicachsorg/xj5hwrvajzthwcukm2tq/newspost69.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1785276921/stmonicachsorg/xj5hwrvajzthwcukm2tq/newspost69.jpg","width":1280}])
St. Monica Catholic Community and Saint Monica Preparatory announce a year of ministry milestones, community celebrations, and a new chapter as it enters its second century.
This year, St. Monica Catholic Community marks 100 years of the church that has stood on California Avenue since 1926: a century of faith, family, and formation at the heart of a campus shared by the parish and Saint Monica Preparatory. Msgr. Lloyd Torgerson and Dr. Erin Luby today announced A Century on California Avenue, a celebration that will begin on the Feast of St. Monica, unfold across the year ahead, and culminate in Saint Monica Academic & Spiritual Heritage (SMASH) Gala in May 2027.
We’re excited for a yearlong celebration of milestones: honoring the ministries, people, and moments that make up the life of this community. Follow the celebration at stmonica.net/100 and save the feast weekend of August 28–30.
![A Look Back at 2025-26 Mariner Athletics Highlights]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1785343755/stmonicachsorg/tun2nkya0t9noly5nehj/newspost70.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1785343755/stmonicachsorg/tun2nkya0t9noly5nehj/newspost70.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1785343755/stmonicachsorg/tun2nkya0t9noly5nehj/newspost70.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1785343755/stmonicachsorg/tun2nkya0t9noly5nehj/newspost70.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1785343755/stmonicachsorg/tun2nkya0t9noly5nehj/newspost70.jpg","width":1280}])
Championships, record-breaking performances and unforgettable moments made the 2025-26 athletic year one to remember at Saint Monica Preparatory — from our youngest Mariners discovering a love of competition to varsity athletes earning titles and college commitments.
Lower and Middle School student-athletes wrapped up a banner year with division championship seasons in Flag Football, Boys Basketball and Baseball; undefeated campaigns in Girls Volleyball and Basketball; and impressive records and podium finishes in Cross Country and Track & Field.
On the varsity stage, five Camino Real League MVP honors; multiple First and Second Team All-League selections across sports; league championship titles in both Girls and Boys Soccer, as well as Boys Volleyball and Girls Golf; plus standout regular and playoff seasons in Football, Basketball, Softball and Boys Golf reflected the strength and depth of our program. The Track & Field team capped the spring by setting multiple school records and sending athletes to the podium at the CIF Finals.