Photos by James Glover II / Star staff Ashley Lajoie, 17, of Camarillo, laughs during a speech at her graduation from Santa Clara High School in Oxnard on Friday.

While every graduation is exciting, Santa Clara High School's seniors seemed especially thrilled Friday evening at their commencement ceremony in Oxnard.

Students, faculty and parents spoke of their pride at the growth and positive change over the past three years at the school since a new principal took over.

"There has been a renaissance," said David Keith, who has two daughters at the school as well as another who graduated last year. "It is unbelievable, what has been done over the past couple years."

Under the guidance of Principal Siobhain O'Reilly-Hill, the school has grown from this senior class of 49 students to an incoming freshman class of 140.

"She has done a great job getting the population back up," said Michael Arnold, a volleyball and swim coach at the school. "We have gotten new science labs and badly needed computer equipment."

Arnold said that he had graduated from Santa Clara in 1975, when there were 750 students on campus.

The excitement was both visible and audible as the students lined up to take part in a school tradition ringing a large bell mounted on the roof.

The seniors simultaneously grasped a long rope attached to the bell and tugged hard to sound the bell the number of times representing their graduation year.

The blue- and gold-clad classmates were supposed to stop at seven rings, but once they got started the students didn't want to stop. The bell sounded dozens of times as teachers sang "Ring My Bell," laughing.

In the gym, Sam and Esther Rocha of Thousand Oaks said they were waiting to see their friend Amanda Lugo graduate.

"She started out at a different school, but she really wanted to come here to a smaller school," said Esther Rocha. "I've really seen her grow from a little girl into a young lady."

The school honored 1985 graduate and new Channel Islands High School Principal Robert "Rocky" Valles, Jr. as a distinguished alumnus.

Valles received his doctorate in educational administration from USC. He credited Santa Clara High School with giving him the skills and motivation he needed to achieve his goals.

"I hope you will carry the same values that Santa Clara gave me many years ago," Valles said.

"Always give back to your community and always give back to your school."

Between speeches, the graduates stood and fanned out into the audience to thank their parents, bestowing them with yellow and white roses and receiving hugs and kisses in return.

During the rose ceremony, student Diana Castellanos sang "Because You Loved Me" to huge cheers from the audience.

Salutatorian Stephen Raab and valedictorian Marissa Domitrovich spoke, sharing memories of the past four years and their hopes for the future.

Raab noted that this class of seniors had been outnumbered by the freshman and sophomore classes but had still managed to stand out, winning a school spirit award.

"We are like no other class, and no other class will ever be like us," Raab said.