Class of 2020: Graduation a season of ‘firsts’
West Holmes senior Grant Baker, the class salutatorian, poses with his parents after a very unique graduation ceremony that included plenty of “firsts” for the Class of 2020.
While this graduation season has been anything but normal, I believe that many good things have come out of it.
First, we have learned how much we take for granted. I have a whole new appreciation for simple things like going out to eat or getting together with all my friends. Online learning was new to us and had its downsides, but it beat waking up early for school every day.
These are some small advantages that are not enough to replace a normal graduation, but there is more to it.
The Class of 2020 is always going to be remembered as the class that missed out on things, but I see it differently.
“Due to the situation we have been faced with, our senior year has become historic and filled with ‘first times.’ This is the first time we have had virtual graduation, the first time sports seasons and concerts have been completely canceled, the first time teenagers can’t go out to dinner and a movie, the first time seniors can’t have a real graduation party, and the first time Senior Skip Day lasted two whole months.”
This is an excerpt from my salutatorian speech. Yes, we have missed out on a “normal” senior year, but it is important to focus on the positives that came from our abnormal senior year.
Later in my speech, I spoke on the subject of first experiences. As we move into the next chapter of our lives, whether that be the workforce, college or the military, this mess will give us an advantage.
As the Class of 2020, we have already experienced first times and adversity. Instead of remembering 2020 as a disaster, I believe we should look at it as the year that helped us prepare for the demanding, unpredictable real world.