When Del Oro High School opened its doors three years ago, it was unknown what paths its first class of graduating seniors would take. For Jayden Zepeda, graduation was not the finish line, it was where life began to speed up.
During his year in Del Oro, Zepeda was involved in multiple campus activities, like ASB, track and wrestling. But it was in the Journalism class where he expanded his skill and passion for photography by capturing events like sports, winter formal, prom, personal projects and other campus events.
“I’m a very stubborn person,” Zepeda said. “If I want something, I go for it.”
One of Zepeda’s friends, senior Jonathan Frias, described him as a determined person at his job.
“He always made photography a priority,” Frias said. “When it came to taking pictures, he was serious about it.”
Zepeda’s seriousness with photography led him to capture the scholar photographer category at last year’s Promoting Excellence in Activities and Athletics in Kern (PEAAK) awards.
His seriousness in academics led him to receive acceptance letters from multiple colleges and universities. Ultimately, he chose California State University, Los Angeles, where he is majoring in Microbiology, while pursuing a minor in Psychology. He is also working with the staff of The University Times, CSU Los Angeles’s campus newspaper.
As Zepeda’s senior year at Del Oro began its countdown toward graduation, he decided he needed to leave one last mark as a student. The week before graduation, he coordinated a prank that targeted his English teacher, Shelby Brown.
“I came to work and Mr. Ednalino was creeping behind a wall and I was like, ‘What is happening?’” Brown said.
Brown said she walked to the door of her classroom and saw it was covered by a tablecloth that hid what the seniors had done inside.
“My desks were upside down, my chairs were upside down, and they were hiding in my storage closet,” Brown said. “And it was Jayden leading the charge.”
Despite all of that, Brown described the prank as a very thoughtful and joyful moment.
“They took pictures with me after, then they fixed my classroom,” she added. “He even wrote me this super kind letter. I miss him. He’s very smart. He was great.”
Zepeda returned to Del Oro High School on Jan. 8, 2026, not as a student but as a guest speaker in the Journalism class. As a former award-winning multimedia editor for The Sunburst, he answered questions about what life has been like after graduating from high school. He also reflected on how life can change instantly.
Zepeda’s high school ended with a chaotic, unexpected, but memorable graduation ceremony.
“Funny story,” he said. “My last name, Zepeda. Starts with a Z, so I’m like the last student to walk the stage.”
However, when the ceremony reached its final moments, his name was skipped as he walked towards the stage.
“They forgot me,” he said.
As his peers celebrated and were instructed to move the tassels on the graduation caps, Zepeda and fellow senior Harry Zuniga still waited for their names to be called.
Zepeda said his family was upset about the situation, but his name was eventually called after it was realized that two graduates had not yet been called to the stage. Zepeda walked across the stage and received his diploma. Despite all the chaos, Zepeda said the moment was still meaningful.
“Beyond all that, I was happy,” he said.
The transition from high school to college did not allow Zepeda to catch his breath.
“It is the fastest summer you will ever have,” he said, adding that previous summers felt like they dragged on.
“I don’t like having too much off time,” he said.
Those feelings would soon change.
“I remember that specific summer between senior year and college,” he said. “I was like, oh we are already in July, one month has already gone by and I feel like I haven’t done anything.”
Immediately after his college classes started, Zepeda endured his biggest challenge.
“I was homeless,” he said.
“My financial aid fell through and I was homeless for two months,” he said. “I was sleeping on peoples’ floors, school lounges, library, and things like that.”
Zepeda said he began to overthink and questioned what he should do next.
“In my head I was like, ‘Do I drop out and go to Bakersfield College or do I try to make it work over here?’” he said.
Zepeda decided to call his dad during that harsh period, and reminded himself of how hard he worked to get here and how much effort and time he gave up.
“I remember calling my dad and I was like, I worked all of high school and my whole school career to get to this place,” he said. “To have my chance and opportunity.”
Despite all the chaos and extra challenges he faced during his first semester in college, Zepeda said he remained resilient, continued attending classes and succeeding academically.
“I was having fun. I had straight A’s,” he said.
At this point nothing was going to stop Zepeda giving up was not an option for him.
“I don’t know, I was stubborn about it,” he said. “I’m not going to give up. If I’m sleeping on somebody else’s floor, so be it. I’m going to make it work.”
The tassel did not wait for Jayden Zepeda but that didn’t stop him from moving forward.
