After four years of rigorous work and dedication, the PPCHS Class of 2026 graduated on May 29. Hosted in the Charles F. Dodge City Center, the class of 443 was joined by administration, faculty, city officials, and families to celebrate the now-alumni’s achievements.
For a high school, Charter is a rather small community. Other high schools in Broward County boast around 2,000 students enrolled in grades 9-12, whereas Charter is home to approximately 1,200. The reduced number of students has fostered PPCHS’s close-knit community, where most students recognize each other in the halls, and teachers and students form lifelong connections.
“My favorite Charter memory was probably talking to all of my teachers and getting to know them as actual people because my teachers have been a really big part in helping me get through my four years,” says graduate Brianna Albuernes. “I truly wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them.”
After the graduates sat in their seats, Class of 2026 President Emmanuel Baptiste gave a heartfelt introduction, followed by Student Government Association (SGA) President Janeyliz Baez, who led the Pledge of Allegiance. The seniors welcomed Principal Peter Bayer to the podium, where he spoke of Charter wildlife–whether it be classroom pets, Felix the Jaguar in the front office, or the many other student creatures that grace campus. He then used students’ shoes as a metaphor for their journeys in life; each pair of Uggs or Crocs would take the graduating class on memorable adventures.
Each year, a student from the graduating class performs a musical piece for the audience of nearly 2,000. However, in true Charter fashion, two seniors, Carson Modlics and Alejandro Cuevas, performed a “Dueling Piano” section together, highlighting unity across the school community. Each graduate played mesmerizing notes, eventually leading into “Mia and Sebastian’s Theme” from “La La Land”, drawing emotional gasps from the crowd.
Nothing illustrates the PPCHS community better than the Jaguar Pride tradition. This year, seniors Jonathan Alonzo and Anjali Yalamanchi were honored with the distinction. They prepared speeches for graduation and were introduced by their chosen teachers, Marianne Guzman and William Quigley.
Guzman, who has retired ahead of the 2026-2027 school year, came to know Alonzo in AP Calculus AB and the Math Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta. She spoke of his hardworking nature and dedication to his craft, math. In his speech, Alonzo quantified the Class of 2026’s experience at Charter, noting their class size to the amount of seconds they spent on campus. He then went on to explain that no number could define the graduates, and instead spoke of specific people and their accomplishments, interests, and passions, exhibiting how closely connected the class is.
Quigley, an AP Government teacher, centered his speech around Yalamanchi’s joyous personality, sharing how she lit up a room just by walking in it. He later touched on her father’s passing and turned around from the podium and told her, “You have done the memory of your father proud.” Yalamanchi then took to the microphone and spoke of struggle, explaining her realization after her father’s death that nobody ever truly knows what others are experiencing. However, the Jaguar Pride winner weaved optimism into her speech, offering a bright side to universal struggles.
Afterwards, the Jaguar Pride winners joined their class in the audience, and the Presentation of Diplomas began. The Class of 2026 Student Council board was called first to receive their diplomas, followed by the 437 remaining students who shaped the senior class’ journey, A through Z.
“The moment that defined Charter for me was when I walked in at orientation, my first time on campus, about to be a high schooler, and the band started playing,” says graduate Juliana Duperval. “That’s when I realized I was going to be successful here. I don’t know why, but the band really made me feel like I belonged at Charter.”
From wearing sneakers or slides at eighth grade orientation in 2022, to loafers or heels at graduation, the Class of 2026’s shoes have taken them a step further into the future, and will take the alumni wherever they go. Whether their adventures bring them close to home or across the world, the graduates have everything they need to start anew, though they remain a part of the Pembroke Pines Charter family for life.
