Riverdale Ridge High School

Congrats, Riverdale Ridge Class of 2026!

📸 |

Can’t make it to graduation in person? Family, friends, and supporters can still celebrate the Class of 2026 from anywhere through our Graduation Livestream!

Class of 2026 | Graduation Livestream

Class of 2026 | Final Flight

This is Riverdale Ridge High School senior Giovanni G's Class of 2026 Journey:

Giovanni's high school experience got off to a solid start his freshman year, as he earned A's and B's in his classes. But all that changed after a devastating turn of events during his sophomore year.

"Sophomore year my dad passed away and it shook me. Having that person taken away from me, it was a lot because he gave me all the advice and made me become the man I am today," Giovanni shared. "The first couple months I managed to keep my grades up, but I didn't have the same motivation or confidence. A piece of me was gone."

It wasn't until his junior year that Giovanni says he finally found himself. During this time, the bond between him and his mom, who he calls his superhero, deepened. Giovanni also credits his teachers with showing him how much he was loved.

"Mr. Robles, he was there after my dad passed," said Giovanni. "My car started breaking down and I told him about the situation. He and all the teachers were going to raise money to help me buy the new part for my car. Even though teachers are going through so much themselves, it really shows they see us as their own kids," he shared.

Now, as Giovanni prepares to get his diploma, he takes pride in the fact that he's following through on his father's dream for him to graduate and attend University of Colorado Boulder.

"That was his vision and I'm following that path. I'm about to go to CU Boulder with a scholarship," he said. "It just really proves that if you put your mind to it and don't listen to the haters, you can really be successful."

Giovanni already has plans to take his higher education a step further by attending dental school through University of Colorado Denver once he completes his prerequisites at CU Boulder.

"I want to be an orthodontist," he said. "I love helping people. One way I know I can help people is with their teeth and build their confidence with their smile."

This is Riverdale Ridge High School senior Xania D’s Class of 2026 Journey:

For Xania, the journey to graduation has not followed the simple script: take the classes, learn the lessons, get the diploma. Neither was it “overcome the one, big obstacle.”

To graduate, Xania had to find her way through multiple pressures, each requiring a different strength: fitting into a school where she didn't know anyone, making college a financial possibility, and finding new purpose in past hardships.

“I had to find the means to provide for myself. It’s just hard to, you know, navigate that when it’s rare to find someone who’s in my situation… I plan to be a victim’s advocate or something with criminal justice because I aspire to help those in need who don’t have that. I don’t want people to suffer the same way my family has.”

Tackling one’s own journey to graduation is a hard-earned achievement but Xania has also stepped up to the responsibility of helping her younger brother through his own.

“That was one of the big challenges and adjustments in my life. I’m not discrediting my mom but it’s been really hard for her to participate…and that’s okay because I love my little brother… I feel like it’s really important to kids around [his] age to see people there supporting him.”

While Xania’s diligence, resilience and empathy have brought her far on her journey, she is also quick to give credit to the community who helped her along the way. Her teachers, particularly math; her counselor, and her church all helped her find the answers she needed.

Xania plans to attend Front Range Community College to complete the prerequisites for a psychology degree (“that’s a cheaper route”) and then potentially transfer to Metropolitan State University of Denver. To support people who have gone through similar challenges in life, she wants to pursue a career as a victim’s advocate or in criminal justice.

When asked what advice she has for other students: “Sometimes you just gotta put your hard-headedness aside to get to where your destination is. Cause this is just the beginning to the start of a new chapter.”

Part of the senior check out process is Chromebook verification.

To save time during Senior Checkout on May 29th, we encourage all seniors to stop by the Learning Commons to complete your Chromebook verification. This step can be done before/after school, during lunch, or during any off periods from now until May 22nd. Please have your Chromebook with you for the Chromebook verification.

If you are unable to find time by May 22nd to stop by the Learning Commons, seniors will need to bring their Chromebook to senior checkout on May 29th.