Families, Parents, Guests,

On behalf of the faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees of Pacific Ridge School, thank you for joining us for Commencement, 2026 - the 16th in our school’s short history.

I began this year by talking with our faculty and staff about Artificial Intelligence (AI).  My message was clear, at least I hope it was.  AI is here; we don’t get to ignore it, and, if we are going to prepare our young adults for their future, we must begin to find ways to incorporate AI into our education, our Pacific Ridge education.  As I expected, that message was both embraced and found to be frustrating.  

I know, for example, that shortly after that opening talk, groups of faculty engaged excitedly in discussing how to engage our students in these emerging opportunities, while other groups of teachers actively said to one another, “No way, we are not going there.  We are about people, we are not about technology.” 

And, something that is amazing about this moment…  both are right.  

We are proud to share that graduating senior Shara Chavez has been named one of the 2026 Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce Rising Stars of the Year scholarship recipients through the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation.

Our #1 seeded Girls Lacrosse team captured the 2026 CIF San Diego Section Division II Championship over the weekend with a thrilling 10–9 victory over #2 seeded Tri-City Christian School.

Pacific Ridge School is proud to announce that Head of Upper School Alfie Hobbs has been selected as a 2026–27 Responsible AI Fellow by the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA).

Pacific Ridge School is proud to celebrate an extraordinary achievement by student-athlete Eli Terlecky '28, who recently earned a place on the Bolivia U-17 Women’s National Team and is now competing on the international stage

At the end of March, Pacific Ridge School came alive with creativity as students, families, and faculty gathered for the annual Showcase of the Arts, an inspiring celebration of artistic expression across disciplines.

Last month, Spanish teacher and (back-to-back CIF Championship winning basketball coach), Chris Burman traveled to El Salvador, where he was honored by the nation of El Salvador as a “Noble Friend of San Pedro Nonualco.”

Pacific Ridge School is excited to announce the appointment of Logan Anderson as Head Coach of the Firebirds Water Polo program, marking an exciting chapter for one of the school’s growing athletic programs.