Despite their entire world being turned upside down, we can say with absolute certainty that the class of 2020 will never be forgotten. Although they did not get to enjoy the typical celebrations and amenities that most of us were privileged enough to have experienced when we finished high school, teachers, parents, families, and friends have been working tirelessly to make their graduates feel special in their own way. However, this has posed some obvious challenges: while fueled by good intentions, these new graduation celebrations are still marred by social distancing guidelines, stay at home orders, and the overarching fear of COVID-19.
Despite these regulations, here are some of the ways I've observed the class of 2020 celebrating their achievements, and I have a sneaking suspicion that they may just be the start of a new yearly traditions. (It is important to note that I'm from Alaska, and due to our small population and geographical isolation, we have been lucky enough to remain much more open than the rest of the country, meaning our celebrations may not have been as feasible in other states.)
1. Graduation Photos on the Football Field
While my old high school may not have been able to offer an actual ceremony allowing this year's graduates to walk, it was made certain that their special moment was not forgotten entirely. The students took it upon themselves to organize specific dates and times at which they met up at the school football field to pose for pictures with friends and fellow graduates in their caps and gowns. Our typical graduation takes place inside, which doesn't make for the best photo opportunities or lighting, so this year's pictures were actually an improvement from tradition. It was easy to tell the smiles on each of the graduates' faces were genuine, and meeting up like this certainly made their commencement feel real. Our school has never done a group photo with the entire graduating class before, but an event like the one that occurred this year allowed that special shot to take place, so hopefully, this will be continued in the coming years.
2. Virtual Graduation Ceremonies
This may have been the most common way of celebrating this year's graduates across the country. While Zoom meetings, virtual classes, and televised graduations are nothing compared to the real thing, this at least gave students the opportunity to be recognized for their achievements by their friends and family near and far. Of the virtual graduations I witnessed, most contained a commencement address from school officials and speakers from the class, such as the class president and valedictorian. During this time, students watching from their own homes were invited to move their tassels in unison, marking the final and official end of their high school career. Many schools read off the names of the graduates and/or displayed their pictures on the broadcast as well. While this doesn't even come close to walking across a graduation stage, it still provides a spotlight for the class of 2020 to be recognized and remembered.
3. Graduate Parade
This is my favorite and final way the class of 2020 was celebrated despite the complete upheaval of the end of their senior year. I come from Girdwood, a very small town in rural Alaska (population: roughly 2,000), so this year's graduating class only had about 15 students. There is no high school in our town, so we drive an hour to attend one of the large high schools in Alaska's biggest city, Anchorage. However, the Girdwood community always goes out of their way to celebrate the Girdwood graduates apart from their larger high school class with a party.
This year though, they went above and beyond.
The teachers of the K-8 school that the majority of the graduates attended for their first 9 years of schooling organized a parade spanning about a mile, starting at the Girdwood School and ending at the community library. Along the way, each teacher set up a table to hand out flowers to each student and bring up their favorite memories from that year. The graduates were able to walk in their caps and gowns with their friends, take pictures, and look back on the memories they had made. It was something I personally wish I had been able to take part in when I graduated, so I hope this will become a tradition for all Girdwood graduates in the years to come.
