Jersey seniors adapt for graduation
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A Jerseyville High School senior makes her way to her seat during Saturday’s ceremony.
A Jerseyville High School senior makes her way to her seat during Saturday’s ceremony.
A Jerseyville High School senior makes her way to her seat during Saturday’s ceremony.
A Jerseyville High School senior makes her way to her seat during Saturday’s ceremony.
JERSEYVILLE — Graduating seniors from Jerseyville High School on Saturday did what they’ve been doing for the last five months – they adapted.
“It’s definitely go with the flow. I’m just happy we get to do something,” said 18-year-old Kailey Smith of Jerseyville.
Smith joined her socially distanced classmates in caps, gowns and masks for the graduation ceremony they weren’t able to have in May. It was a widely-spaced event on the high school football field under near-ideal weather conditions with equal nods to tradition and COVID-19 precautions.
Mask-wearing graduates had their temperatures checked upon arrival at the Jerseyville Middle School, then were seated well apart in multiple rooms to await the ceremony start. The graduates walked from the middle school and as “Pomp and Circumstance” played over the loudspeakers they entered the football field at least six feet apart and took their widely-spaced seats.
Relatives and friends seated in small, separate groups did what such supporters always do at graduations — they applauded, cheered and photographed (from afar) the 2020 senior class. QR codes were posted on the guest seating chairs so parents could download virtual graduation programs.
“This is not what I thought our graduation would be like at the start of our senior year,” said Smith, who will attend Lewis and Clark Community College to pursue a nursing degree. “I thought we’d be in a gym with everybody together, not separated into different rooms before we walk out.”
Eighteen-year-old graduating senior Lauren Rexing of Grafton will attend Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology to major in mechanical engineering and would like to work for a company such as Boeing.
“We are very fortunate that we actually get to have a ceremony. I know some schools had them earlier in the year but I also know a bunch of schools that didn’t have anything,” Rexing said. “But we didn’t get to walk across the stage in May and a lot of athletes also didn’t get to enjoy our last season of sports, so it’s not at all what I expected.”
Graduates already had their diplomas in hand to eliminate direct human contact as they walked solo across the stage and briefly pulled their masks off for an official photograph.
“My senior year just quickly flipped upside down. We were just trying to make the best of it and I think we did a pretty good job,” said 18-year-old Zachary Schaefer of Jerseyville, who will attend Illinois State University to major in finance. “I loved every minute I spent at Jerseyville High School.”
After the ceremony the graduates and their guests were encouraged not to linger too long and were advised to keep their distance from the other family groups.
“I don’t think anybody would have imagined it. COVID was something that affected the entire world, and it was just a crazy experience for everybody,” said 18-year-old graduate Joao Nail of Jerseyville, who will major in chemical engineering or chemistry at SIUE. “This school year was a bit of a struggle, especially switching from in-school learning to on-line learning. But we made it through and I’m just glad that we’re here.”
“It’s a little bittersweet, but it’s an experience like no other,” Nail said.
Eighteen-year-old graduate Anna Poppe of Jerseyville, who will major in journalism at the University of Missouri, was concerned for the Class of 2021.
“I feel that for the seniors next year it’s going to be sadder because they are going to have to start out with COVID,” Poppe said. “We just ended the year with it, we didn’t miss things like football. But we were still ready to leave.”
Jerseyville High School Principal Cory Breden has known most of the graduating seniors for at least eight years in his role as principal at the district’s middle and high schools.
“Today is probably a little more sentimental for me than them,” Breden said. “These kids are versatile. I appreciated their flexibility going through all of this. They adjusted very well.”
Jersey Community Unit School District 100 Superintendent Brad Tuttle also credited the Class of 2020 for their willingness to go with the flow.
“Our students and staff have adapted with flexibility and a sense of humor,” Tuttle said. “They rolled with the punches. I’m curious to see where they’re going to end up. They’ve had such a challenging year that I’m sure the rest of life will be a piece of cake.”
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August 03, 2020 at 12:02AM
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‘Go with the flow’ - Alton Telegraph
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