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Summer Office Hours: Tuesday – Thursdays 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Appointments by Request)
Office hours: Mon-Thu 7:45 AM-4:00 PM | Fri 7:45 AM-2:00 PM
(916) 481-2300
Sacramento Adventist Academy held its 8th grade graduation on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, sending the Class of 2026 into high school during an evening of prayer, music, and celebration at the Carmichael Seventh-day Adventist Church. The night marked far more than a single milestone. Research from the North American Division shows that students in Adventist schools score about half a grade level above the national average, and the longer they attend, the higher they tend to achieve. For many of the students who walked the stage, that journey began years earlier, some of them in preschool.
| Key Takeaways |
|---|
| The Class of 2026 graduated 8th grade on June 3, 2026 at the Carmichael Seventh-day Adventist Church. |
| PE teacher and coach Cyrus Jones delivered the graduation address. |
| Several scholarships and awards were presented to support each student’s move into 9th grade. |
| Many graduates had attended SAA since preschool or kindergarten. |
| These graduates now become the high school Class of 2030. |
The ceremony opened with a prelude and the familiar march of Pomp and Circumstance before student leaders welcomed families to the front. Class pastor Amaya Williams offered the opening prayer, thanking God for the teachers, families, and friends who helped the class reach this point.
The program leaned heavily on the people who made the moment possible. Parents were asked to stand and be recognized for their commitment. Musical performances, a family tribute, and a class slideshow gave families a chance to look back on the year and the years before it.
Class president Alice Henda delivered the President’s Address, walking the audience through eight years of shared memories. She thanked the parents who raised the class and the teachers who guided it, then offered a final message to the students moving up.
Her words echoed the class motto: “You are in control of your future, so make it everything you dreamed it could be.” She tied that idea to the class verse from Mark 9:23 and the class aim, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
The Class of 2026 chose PE teacher and coach Cyrus Jones as their graduation speaker. He had taught many of these students for three years and described them as his favorite class to teach because of how openly they engaged with everything around them.
His message centered on courage over comfort. He encouraged students to take risks, to care about things out loud, and to try new things even when the outcome feels uncertain. He pointed to Matthew 6:34 and its reminder not to worry about tomorrow, urging the graduates to live fully and faithfully in the present rather than holding back out of fear of judgment.
One of the most meaningful parts of the evening was the presentation of scholarships and awards. Several of these gifts apply directly toward 9th grade tuition at SAA, easing the path forward for families who choose to continue with Adventist education.
One of the most telling moments came when administrators asked students who had been at SAA since preschool to stand. Several rose, representing nine, ten, and eleven years at the school. A second group stood to mark their years together since kindergarten.
That kind of continuity is the heart of what SAA offers. Families who start early at SAA Preschool can move into the elementary grades and stay through middle school without ever changing communities. The research backs up the value of staying put, since students who remain in Adventist schools the longest tend to see the strongest academic gains.
The night closed by introducing the incoming freshman class, the future high school Class of 2030. For these students, graduation is less of an ending and more of a handoff into the next stage of their education at SAA.
Families who want to learn more about what comes next can explore the SAA high school program and see how the academy carries students from preschool all the way through twelfth grade. To ask about enrollment or schedule a visit, reach out through the SAA admissions page.
Congratulations to the Sacramento Adventist Academy Class of 2026. Your teachers, families, and school community are proud of you.
