A heart-felt standing ovation greeted Mason Pitz, 19, who offered a mix of serious and playful advice to the 265 members of his graduating class at last week’s Laguna Beach High School commencement exercises.
Earlier, in a flurry of maroon and white, cap and gowned seniors filled the open-air Irvine Bowl on the Festival of Arts grounds as family and friends cheered the soon-to-be-graduates and the school band played “Pomp and Circumstance.”
The teen’s father, Mark Pitz, a local soccer coach and restaurant owner, and his grandmother, Monique Huguette Pitz, both died in the closing months of the school year. With his voice cracking slightly, Pitz, chosen to deliver the senior address, told the attentive audience he had recently discovered a memento that belonged to his father.
“While cleaning out my garage a few weeks ago, I was ecstatic and deeply touched to discover his old traveling wallet. He carried the wallet when he went on trips to Europe and around the world. As a result, the two quotes he wrote down I consider the culmination of his life experience. And I know they are words of advice he would want to pass on to all of you.
“Knowing my dad, I thought he would figure out a way to get me grounded or embarrassed after his passing. So, I think it’s pretty cool he opted for the inspiring life advice instead,” said Pitz, with a laugh.
The audience listened intently as he read the quotes. “In order to be at peace with the world, you have to be at peace with yourself. Take time off,” he said. The second recommendation read, “Don’t let your peers run your life. Do what you want and not what others want you to do. If you have a feeling, go with it. But once you start, you must finish or else you’ve let yourself down.”
Pitz continued with a third message from a friend, who used a metaphor to compare life to a water bottle. To demonstrate, he produced a small plastic water bottle and flipped it upside down so it landed on the side. “Sometimes you fall flat and must deal with it.”
Pitz then flipped the bottle again, landing it straight up on a table, eliciting cheers from the audience. “Other times you stand tall and succeed,” Pitz beamed.
“Regardless of the outcome, it’s how we react, how we deal with success or failure,” Pitz concluded. “So seniors, that will take you far in life, and it’s always a great day to be a Breaker.”
Class valedictorian Zack Spitz followed with an upbeat message. “Students, teachers,
parents, distinguished guests, anyone dragged here against their will, thank you for coming to see my speech. We will also be having a commencement ceremony so stick around after.”
Spitz urged classmates to remain flexible. “Don’t stop preparing for opportunities after disappointment,” he said.
English teacher Jon Hendrickson also provided inspiring advice, relating life skills to novels, familiar to many as they were required reading. “Some of you actually read the book,” Hendrickson joked.
As graduates received their diplomas, a photograph was projected behind them depicting themselves as a child.
As the ceremony concluded, classmate Grant Miller congratulated Pitz on his speech, describing it as “glorious.” Miller said the two had been classmates since middle school. Asked if they will stay in touch, Miller will attend the University of Texas in Austin next fall, said “I’ll text you.”
“It’s nice to end the year on a positive,” said Pitz, who will enroll at UC Berkeley in fall.
The graduates capped off an all-night graduation party, traveling in five party buses to the Green River Golf Course in Corona. Activities planned included a putting green, tarot card reading, pool, and a buffet, returning to Laguna at 5:30 a.m. the next day.
Graduate Roberto Cadena, 18, said, “It felt great when you threw your hat in the air, you knew you were done.” While he enjoyed himself at the party, with rock climbing and watching friends who were hypnotized, returning to Laguna was memorable as well. “We all went to Main Beach for donuts and coffee and to watch the sunrise.”
It’s Zach, not Zack.