Storm Lake High School graduates 191 seniors, honors 4.0 students

Storm Lake High School’s Class of 2026 sent 191 seniors across the stage at Siebens Fieldhouse on the Buena Vista University campus, a graduation that put a large local class on record as it heads into college, work, military service or other next steps.

The ceremony also highlighted academic top performers. The school recognized seniors who finished with 4.0 grade point averages, including Abril Torres, Ariadna Contreras, Nicole Rake, Melissa Khamvily, Silvia Kampbell, Maddisen Maloutaphong, Briana Monzon Benavides, Landon Moore, Bryson Harder, Miriam Tejeda, Cole Richardson, Olivia Speers, Magdalene Dahlhauser, Alexa Lopez, Aung R Way, Grant Hansgaard-Kell, Grace Kenkel, Zoe McCoy, Marlyne Magana, Anahi Olaiz, Rylan Richardson, Eh Nay Tha Sher, Amy Xiong, Ana P. Quej Flores and Avery DeHaan.

For Storm Lake, the number matters. The Class of 2026’s 191 diplomas outpaced the 153 graduates cited in one 2024 graduation story and topped another 2024 account that counted 174 seniors processing into Siebens Fieldhouse. That makes this year’s class a notably larger cohort, one that will soon ripple through Buena Vista County’s workforce, college pipeline and long-term retention picture.

The graduation also took place against the backdrop of a school district that is both large and changing. Storm Lake Community School District’s 2025-26 information lists 923 students at Storm Lake High School and Charter School, with districtwide enrollment at 2,943. The high school and charter population is reported as 37.4% Hispanic, 13.9% Asian, 5.6% Black and 55.4% English learner, a profile that makes academic honors like the 4.0 list especially notable in a community where multiple languages and backgrounds are part of everyday school life.

Siebens Fieldhouse has become a familiar stage for major milestones in Storm Lake. Buena Vista University held its 2026 commencement ceremonies there on May 9 and said nearly 600 graduates were honored, reinforcing the fieldhouse as one of the county’s signature commencement venues.

Storm Lake High School also added to the senior sendoff with its Graduation Farewell event on May 3, which featured food, photo booths and a party atmosphere for seniors and families. Together, those events marked the end of one school year and the start of a new chapter for a class that now moves from Storm Lake’s classrooms into the wider world.