Rancho Cielo marked a historic milestone on Friday, June 12, when 93 students received their high school diplomas in what stands as the largest graduating class in the nonprofit’s history. Held in partnership with John Muir Charter Schools, the commencement ceremony brought together graduates from across Rancho Cielo’s vocational programs and Silver Star Youth Program in an emotional and inspiring celebration of perseverance and possibility.
Rancho Cielo CEO Chris Devers set the tone for the day, framing graduation not merely as a ceremony but as the culmination of everything the organization works toward throughout the year.
“Everything we do at Rancho Cielo is about today,” Devers said. “The one objective for our strategic plan is that 100% of our graduates will sustain a fulfilling career five years after graduation. That’s what this [graduation] is all about today.”
Devers reminded graduates that their achievement is permanent, a foundation no one can take from them, and a stepping stone to what comes next.
Rancho Cielo Founder Judge John Phillips reflected on the unique character of the campus and the students who call it home.
“I think the kids here appreciate that this campus was built by us,” Phillips said. “Built by the community, and it isn’t something that’s mandatory. I’m really proud of these kids. I see how hard they work. I see the self-esteem, the confidence, the pride they start taking in themselves and the positive outlook they have now, going out into the next stage of their life.”
Phillips added that what impresses him most about Rancho Cielo graduates is “their civility.”
Among the ceremony’s most powerful voices was alumni speaker Anabel Guzman, a 2012 Silver Star Alumna who has become a respiratory therapist at Natividad Medical Center. Guzman, who grew up in foster care and navigated a turbulent adolescence—including probation—spoke directly to the graduates about the power of second chances.
“I’m here to remind you that your past does not define your future,” Guzman told the crowd.
“I made choices without understanding the consequences,” she said. “Those choices led to trouble and probation. I thought my mistakes would define me forever. I then realized that sometimes the lowest moments in our lives become the turning point that changes everything. For me, that turning point was Rancho Cielo. Rancho Cielo gave me structure, guidance, education, and most importantly, people who believed in me before I fully believed in myself.”
Monterey County Presiding Superior Court Judge Rafael Vazquez delivered the keynote address, underscoring the organization’s broader significance to the community, describing Rancho Cielo as a symbol of opportunity, dignity, resilience and a belief in human potential.
The ceremony’s most unforgettable moment came when Jose Manuel Mendoza-Avina, a graduate of the Construction & Sustainable Design Academy, took the podium as student speaker. His father and grandmother, seated in the audience, had no idea he would be speaking, a detail that added a deeply personal layer of emotion to his already powerful remarks.
“I’m proud to say that I am named after a strong, responsible and hardworking man, my father,” Mendoza-Avina said. “I didn’t have my mother in my life, which was the main challenge that took a toll on me. I didn’t let that stop me from reaching my goals. Thanks to my father and my grandma’s constant support, I can be standing here today.”
Mendoza-Avina described falling in with the wrong crowd before Rancho Cielo and watching his education suffer as a result, but said the program helped him recognize his own character and potential before it was too late. During his time at Rancho Cielo, he built tiny homes through the Construction Academy, developed communication skills through the campus podcast Ranch Cast, and participated in AIM Youth Mental Health’s Ideas Lab, in which he helped develop solutions to address youth mental health needs and learned to conduct research firsthand.
His ambitions extend well beyond graduation. “I am hopeful that one day I will be the owner of a construction company and, along with that, help my dad retire from working in the fields, advance his food business and help him reach his dream of owning his own restaurant,” he said. “If you can take one thing from my story: Things take time, and sometimes things do not go as planned, but don’t give up.”
