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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 celebrated its Class of 2026 commencement on Sunday, June 7, 2026, honoring 27 seniors with high school diplomas, scholarships, and a send-off that reflected four years of academic achievement, faith development, and community. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, students at faith-based private schools graduate at consistently higher rates than the national average, a standard the SAA Class of 2026 carried with distinction.
| Key Takeaways | |
|---|---|
| Graduates | 27 seniors received diplomas on June 7, 2026 |
| Class Gift | $15,000 raised for new gymnasium doors — the largest class gift in 20 years |
| Scholarships | $276,000 awarded from Pacific Union College and MERA awards |
| Advanced Diplomas | Multiple graduates earned advanced diplomas with honors and high honors |
| Class Motto | “Made for More” — anchored in 1 Timothy 4:12 |
The commencement service opened with a processional for both the junior and senior classes, filling the gymnasium with the energy Principal Matthew Jakobsons described as the result of not just one year of effort, but 13 to 17 years of shared investment by students, parents, and educators. Jakobsons welcomed the crowd and invited families to come forward for photographs before the program began, setting a tone that was celebratory and unhurried.
The invocation was delivered by senior Havilah Baga, who asked for wisdom, courage, and a ceremony marked by joy, gratitude, and reflection. Her prayer framed the morning well: a recognition that graduation is both an ending and a beginning.
Senior Class Treasurer Thomas Godfrey presented the class gift, announcing that the Class of 2026 had raised $15,000 through four years of fundraising at fall festivals, Mendazzis, corn dogs, frozen yogurt, and more. The money will go toward brand new gymnasium doors to replace the existing ones, which Godfrey noted had long-standing issues with latching and a center pole that complicated equipment transport.
It was the largest class gift in 20 years. “We hope this gift leaves a lasting impact on our school community,” Godfrey told the audience. “It is a small fraction of just how much you mean to us.”
Senior Class President Gwendolyn Rosich delivered the president’s message, drawing on the class’s Senior Experience trip to Angel Island in San Francisco as a metaphor for the arc of high school. What began as a planned four-mile hike stretched to six miles due to a wrong turn — and Rosich argued that the extra miles made all the difference.
She mapped each mile to a phase of high school, from the excitement of freshman year through the exhaustion and pressure of junior and senior year, when college decisions and an uncertain future weigh heaviest. Her thesis was direct: “Small does not mean insignificant.” With only 27 members, the Class of 2026 was one of the smaller classes in school history, but Rosich pointed to their presence in yearbooks, art shows, championship banners, musicals, and community life as evidence of an outsized impact.
“We came in expecting a four-mile hike but we left stronger because it was six,” she said. “Small steps carried us six miles farther than we expected and four tough years farther than we could have imagined.”
Dr. Ralph Trecartin, President of Pacific Union College, announced that the Class of 2026 received a combined $276,000 in PUC and MERA scholarship awards. Scholarships ranged from the Founders Scholarship ($36,000 over four years, for GPAs between 2.8 and 3.24) to the President’s Scholarship ($60,000 over four years, for GPAs of 3.75 or higher or qualifying test scores).
Several seniors also received the Adventist Health Pre-Healthcare Certificate, recognizing students who completed at least four advanced math and science courses with a GPA of 3.70 or higher in those subjects.
The Adventist Health Scholarship, awarded to a graduating senior who exemplifies academic excellence, service, and a commitment to healthcare, was presented by Adrian Serna. This year’s recipient came to SAA as a quiet ninth grader and grew into a confident leader, serving as a student association officer across multiple years and completing several AP courses while maintaining high honors. She will use the $3,000 scholarship to support her studies at La Sierra University.
On behalf of the Northern California Conference and the Pacific Union Conference, Pastor Aren Rennacker presented two ministry-focused scholarships. A $1,000 scholarship for theological studies at Pacific Union College was awarded to a senior who led Bible studies, volunteered at Vacation Bible School, and helped start a discipleship ministry at her church. A second graduate received the Growing Young Leaders Pastor Scholarship — one of only seven awarded across the Pacific Union — a four-year, $20,000 award to study theology at Walla Walla University. Rennacker, a pastor and SAA alumnus himself, described the recipient as articulate, academically strong, a gifted singer and performer, and “the real deal.”
The Caring Heart Award, sponsored by the North American Division and accompanied by a $500 scholarship, was presented to a senior whose commitment to serving others stood out across his four years at SAA.
Class sponsor Chris Jones delivered the commencement address, titled “A Speech You Probably Won’t Remember (But Just in Case…).” He acknowledged upfront that he doesn’t remember his own graduation speech, and that took the pressure off — though he said he wanted to give the class his best effort regardless.
Jones offered five principles drawn from his own experience:
Jones closed by addressing each graduate by name before reminding them that they are not their lowest grade, their worst day, or the meanest thing anyone has said about them. “You are a child of God and you are made for more,” he said.
Principal Jakobsons, Vice Principal Michelle Piner, and Veronica Rivas presented diplomas to all 27 members of the Class of 2026. Several graduates earned advanced diplomas with honors or high honors, along with service medallions recognizing 200 hours of community service and gold medallions for 12 years of attendance at SAA.
The SAA Last Graduate Award, given each year to families who have sent three or more children through SAA, was presented to three families in recognition of their long-term commitment to the school and its community.
SAA alumni Connor Blood returned to the stage to formally welcome the Class of 2026 into the SAA alumni family. He also turned to the junior class and charged them with making the most of their upcoming senior year: “You only get one senior year of high school. Laugh together, cry together, help each other, and truly bond as a class.”
Board Chair John Lucero offered the benediction, asking for clarity, discernment, and courage for the graduates as they move into new chapters of life.
Sacramento Adventist Academy is a preschool through 12th grade Seventh-day Adventist Christian school located at 5601 Winding Way in Carmichael, California. The school has been preparing students spiritually, academically, and socially since 1958. Learn more about SAA’s high school program at sacaa.org.
