What more can be said about the experience of the graduating class of 2020?

Most of the universities had their graduations in early to mid- May. Families gathered around computers with their graduates clad in cap and gown. Loud cheers were heard throughout neighborhoods when their child’s name appeared on the screen. There was some pomp and circumstance amongst the quarantined nuclear family while extended family Zoomed along celebrating from afar. The day usually culminated with a nice meal including cake and it was a done deal.

This year’s ‘graduations’ have a very different vibe from graduations of yesteryear which are often multiple day events including travel, hotels, several meals etc. There are crowds, long processions and speeches. The graduates celebrate with their families, friends, peers and professors. This is a long standing tradition which caps off four years of higher education.

As it is now mid-June, it is the season of the high school graduation. Many of my clients fall into this category. Following the cancellation announcements in April and the period of deep disappointment for both the students and their families, the high school class of 2020 has suited up for their revised graduations.

Several schools in the area have assigned each graduate a time slot. The graduates are broken down alphabetically and there are a certain amount of students scheduled per day. One graduate that I know was allotted his “fifteen minutes of fame” to walk across a prefab podium, alone, in the front atrium of the school. He received his diploma and had a photo opportunity in front of the school’s logo.

In other jurisdictions I have heard about car parades for the seniors where teachers stand outside the school (in masks) and cheer on their students. Videos on social media have shown a lot of enthusiastic hollering from both the faculty and the students.

The cheering makes me happy. The cake makes me happy. The smiles in the photos make me happy.

The loss and disappointment experienced by these students and their families can not be erased by a nice slice of cake. I think about all of the hours of homework put in to attain the coveted diploma, the stress and angst over standardized tests, the cold early mornings racing to the bus and the days of sitting in classrooms waiting for the bell to ring. There were sports practices, games and championships and hours upon hours of play rehearsals and band competitions. And for this Covid-19, these kids are rewarded with a drive-by graduation.

My heart has really extended to the families who have only one child for whom this was their only graduation. I am also having pangs of sadness for the families with first generation graduates. I feel for all of the families who have been planning for this moment since they put their child onto that kindergarten bus.

The sum totality of the pandemic is horrendous. The numbers of deaths and potential future deaths can be compared to nothing. The economic implications on so many families is insufferable. I am not at all indicating otherwise. Yet, the reality of the 2020 graduation season, which should be a time of joy and celebration, has been somewhat grim and for that I am sorry.

As we look back at this time we will remember the Class of 2020 as the students who wore masks with their caps and gowns and desperately needed haircuts under those mortar boards.