Eighty community service hours are required to walk at graduation and this requirement has been in place since 2015. Yet, 25 percent to 30 percent of the seniors don’t have their 80 hours completed.

Senior Eddie Zepeda has yet to get his hours.

“The major reason I haven’t done my hours is because the majority of the time I’m either working or in school,” Zepeda said.

Walking at the graduation ceremony is not an issue for all students.

“I’m not really worried about walking because I’m still going to college,” Zepeda said. “I think about it as not a big deal because walking at college is what I care about.”

Counselors have been talking to students about their hours.

“I have been called out of class to go to the counselor’s to talk about my missing hours,” Zepeda said, “I signed a paper acknowledging that I know that I won’t be walking because some students have tried to argue that they didn’t know about the 80 hour requirement.”

Finding where to get hours can be a challenge.

“Not knowing where to get hours held me back some because the school is so picky where you get your hours,” Zepeda said. “I wouldn’t want to go do hours somewhere and then end up not having my hours not accepted, it would be a waste of my time.”

Math teacher Luis Andrade feels students need to get their hours done.

“It is mandatory to walk on stage (at the graduation ceremony),” Andrade said. “Four years of hard work should pay off.”

Andrade lists ways he has helped students get their hours

“I’ve helped a few dozen by having them help in Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) this year and with food donations.”

A dialogue of doing community service is something Andrade feels should be in the classroom.

“Teachers need to bring it up in class and tell students how important it is for other people,” Andrade said. “Many need help and our students need to be the leaders in that.”

Andrade explains why community service hours are important.

“Students need to start showing more kindness,” Andrade said. “By doing so it helps students see problems in their community, and maybe a few of them later on can help in a major way to fix those problems.”

Counselor Guadalupe Fino has information for students struggling to get hours.

“It is important for students to talk to their counselor to see where they can gain hours and to see if the hours they have are approved by the district.”

Fino explains the benefits of community service.

“Students can gain socials skills, learn how to work with others, gain an edge when applying for jobs and earning hours helps with scholarship fulfillment,” Fino said.

Senior Danielle Cervin had no issues earning her community service hours.

“I have 249 hours so far,” Cervin said. “I’ve been working on these hours all four years of high school.”

Cervin earned hours outside of school.

“I got my hours at my local church called Dios es Bueno,” Cervin said. “The way I did this was by going to school for most of the day and in the afternoon I’d work on my hours at church.”

The impact of doing community service has been a positive one for Cervin.

“Since doing community service hours has been a daily thing for me, I feel like I have grown so much,” Cervin said.

Cervin has some advice for those struggling with hours.

“Just find something you enjoy doing,” Cervin said. “Then the hours will come easily to you.”