Items

• 
  April 19, 2020

  CSI Class of 2020

  "Finally the thoughts of what my graduation were real. What it would look like, what I would wear, and who i would invite. The joy I felt thinking about the thought of graduation in May; has been replaced with uncertainty. Myself and another class mate walked the campus although it were closed to find lingering students and faculty to complete information for our capstone project, not knowing that what we thought would be a temporary shut down became more permanent. The feeling of despair is an understatement because I returned to school after almost 20 yrs to finish my degree only to be deprived of the feelings you get from accomplishing everything that's required to graduate. All I can do as for now is stay safe so when that alternate graduation date is set, I'm a part of it. You won't take my accomplishment from me Covid!"
• 
  2020-05-20

  Drive-Thru Graduation at a Phoenix High School

  The photos are from the Drive-Thru Graduation Ceremony at Bostrom High School in Phoenix, Arizona. To have a graduation ceremony for the 2020 graduates, the high school put on a socially-distant commencement where parents and families could show their support from their cars. These images show the creative lengths that school staff, district staff, and parents went to give 2020 graduates a celebration that they deserve. In 2020, all people made some level of sacrifice, and the photos are an example of how communities worked together so that students did not have to lose another milestone in their lives.
• 
  2020-06-25

  DVUSD Letter to Parents Announcing 2020 Graduation

  On May 1st, Dr. Curtis Finch, the Superintendent of Deer Valley Unified School District (one of the largest districts in Arizona), sent a letter as part of a daily update during the end of the 2019-2020 school year. Due to laws and regulations, there were many people unsure about whether the Class of 2020 would have a graduation ceremony. In this letter, Dr. Finch announced that an in-person ceremony would be held during the summer (July 2-3) due to a survey where the majority of parents indicated that they wanted an in-person ceremony. He stated a specific time for each high school and explained that additional information would be given each week, due to needing to plan exactly how the ceremony will work depending on guidance at the time. On June 25th, the graduation was canceled. This item shows the work and resilience that went into trying to give students and their families the milestones that they were hoping to experience. Many people, businesses, schools, and other organizations worked to find ways to safely host events. While some worked, this is an example of a plan that did not go through.
• 2020-06-27

  Graduation

  This picture, it is showing me having my high school graduation in a parking lot. All having to stand 6 feet apart, outside and listen to our names being read off through the speaker of our cars. Not your typical graduation from high school and I'll never get to go back and have one because of covid.
• 
  2020-06-05

  Beating the Odds

  As cliche as it sounds I feel like I've fought all my life to get my diploma. Covid-19 was just another fight that I had to get through to get what I desired. I was so excited for senior year to start for all of events and the approach of college. When the pandemic first arrived in the United States, I didn't think much of it. At worst, I thought we would only have a few days off from school. Little did I know I would not be returning once covid hit. Although my parents got sick and I was continuing to work, school remained in session. Even though it was online, it was a major adjustment and at times I didn't think it would make it. As time progressed and the pandemic gradually got worse I managed to graduate. Although it was not the traditional graduation setting, I was content with the drive thru graduation I received. To graduate during a pandemic is an achievement I will forever be proud of and to every student during this pandemic I'm also proud of because at the end of the day school simply is not just school. Meaning, one doesn't just learn something grasp it immediately and be done. There are steps involved, learning barriers, time commitments, life stressors, and so much more. Life often becomes a barrier to school and to be able to endure that is quite the achievement. This photograph has tremendous meaning to me because in all honesty I accomplished what I wanted to do.
• 
  2020-12-13

  Covid-19 Mental Health Interview from the Perspective of a Pharmacist

  The contributor of this item did not include verbal or written consent. We attempted to contact contributor (or interviewee if possible) to get consent, but got no response or had incomplete contact information. We can not allow this interview to be listened to without consent but felt the metadata is important. The recording and transcript are retained by the archive and not public. Should you wish to listen to audio file reach out to the archive and we will attempt to get consent.
• 
  2020-07-29

  Social Graduation: Western's virtual graduation box

  Pictured is one of Western University's virtual graduation boxes given to every graduate during the summer of 2020.
• 
  2020-06-16

  Class of 2020 Celebrated by a Rural Community

  The rural community of Tuttle, Oklahoma honored their class of 2020 high graduates with a sign made out of a round bale of hay. The round bale was located just off of State Highway 37 next to the Tuttle Grain & Supply. As part of the creativity, the bale had a sign saying: "Class of 2020" with comments such as "Proud of You!" and "Congrats!" as well as "Great Job!" The sign then covered the face of the hay bale in the design of a large face mask. The community was acknowledging the circumstances that altered the 2020 senior year and graduation to be a smaller event.
• 
  2020-11-11

  And She Never Got to Finish Writing......

  Because of Covid-19, I didn't get the normal senior year of high school experience. I never got to wear my prom dress, appreciate my last day of school, or even had a chance to say goodbye to the teachers who shaped me into the person I am today. I never got to participate in a senior prank, or use the money we've been raising since freshman year to use towards our senior BBQ and senior trip. I never got to say farewell to the people I've grown up with since middle school. Whether I was close with them or not, I would've liked to say goodbye considering I may not ever see them again. This pandemic never allowed me to close the book on my high school experience. No matter how old I get, I will always look back and feel like high school was something that was robbed from me.
• 
  2020-11-07

  Graduation in 2020

  This is a meme about how COVID has affect the graduation of the class of 2020. As a member of the class of 2020, I can definitely relate to this. I was really looking forward to my high school graduation. Even though we had somewhat of a very small ceremony only a few members of our family could come and it wasn’t how I dreamed of it. A big reason we couldn’t have the normal ceremony was the cause of the rules and restrictions put in place by our government. Gatherings of a certain number were not allowed and masks had become mandatory because of our government.
• 
  2020-11-06

  Adopt a Senior 2020

  In my hometown of Corvallis Oregon, after March 13th the class of 2020 never entered the doors of our high schools again. Anything we left in our lockers and classrooms was put in garbage bags and handed to us from 6 feet away. Our graduation ceremony was a parade of cars through the backroads of my hometown. A mother at my high school decided this wasn’t fair, we needed to have another type of celebration. Mealoha McFadden created a facebook group to “adopt” 2020 seniors in our county and shower them with gifts and praise. Many people got their favorite candies, snacks and others got starter kits for college. In my adoption care package, I got a tool set for my dorm, lots of candy, my favorite soda and a note praising my accomplishment. Although times were especially hard in my hometown, there was a glimmer of happiness when a senior got their gifts.
• 
  2020-06-27

  EHBS’s Class of 2020 Yearbook: Dear Class of 2020

  I submitted this image because I think it means a lot to students who graduated during this pandemic. Although it's specific to my school high school, the message is one that all 2020 graduates can relate to. This image is meaningful to me because in the future when I decide to relook at my yearbook I will always remember that I graduated during a life changing pandemic.
• 
  2020-08-14

  Class Sticker

  Recently my sister graduated from Practitioner school but unfortunately wasn't able to have a traditional graduation. I still wanted to celebrate the best way I could because this was a huge accomplishment, so I searched the internet for funny little things to get her and I found this perfect sticker. She loves Friends and it worked perfectly for the situation we are in. It also led me down a rabbit hole of other satirical products related to the pandemic that I thought was super funny. I'm happy that people are able to make the best of this weird time.
• 
  2020-10-21

  COVID Graduation

  Here’s a photo of my cousin I posted on Instagram. She just finished nursing school in Mexico. She’s a single mom, has a full time job and is graduating with honors today. I’m so happy for her finally living her dream. Like many around the world, COVID has affected her graduation.
• 
  2020-09-24

  The New Normal: A Virtual Graduation

  As a graduating senior, this email was sent to me by the Provost Office to notify me that this semester's graduation will be virtual. Ever since my freshman year of college, the idea of walking across the stage at my graduation always inspired me to try my best in all of my courses. My hard work and dedication was geared towards this big moment. While it is admirable that St. Mary's is still looking at ways to celebrate their student's accomplishments in the safest way possible, it is still difficult to process that I'll be walking across my living room instead of a graduation stage.
• 
  2020-06-06

  Graduation Through the Virus

  In June of 2020, I graduated high school amidst a global pandemic. I attended St. Anthony High School, a private catholic high school in Long Beach, California. As a small school, myself and about 150 other senior students spent the months following quarantine procedures praying that we would get some sort of graduation to award and celebrate our hard work . After negotiating with the Arch Diocese of Los Angeles and adhering to the safety laws implemented by the governor, St. Anthony was able to provide a Baccalaureate Mass for their 2020 graduates in celebration of their four years of success, growth, and education. As one of those graduates, I was filled with immense gratitude to have been able to join with my friends and immediate family as I closed a chapter of my life, and stepped on to the next. St. Anthony High School was one of few high schools in the county to have been able to congregate in any way to celebrate the 2020 graduating seniors. Many schools had to divert to “drive by” graduations or even online ceremonies from home. With the amount of high school seniors we had, St. Anthony was able to host 4-5 different Baccalaureate Masses for the purposes of social distancing. This way, all seniors got the opportunity to wear their cap and gowns, dress from tassel to high heel, and experience what a graduation ceremony in the Catholic Church would be like. For this one day, the ability to come together and see many of my friends that I hadn’t seen for months brought so many emotions. There was much question prior to the mass as to whether we students would actually be able to get through with it. The safety of ourselves and the family’s of one another we’re of utmost importance, while our right to be acknowledged for our academic successes the past 4 years felt necessary. We 2020 graduating seniors of St. Anthony High School were so fortunate to be able to experience a graduation ceremony in the manner we were allowed.
• 
  2020-06-13

  As the Army Goes Rolling Along

  Recalled to campus for the annual commencement ceremony by order of the commander-in-chief, these West Point cadets march out onto the green wearing face masks to prevent infection. Just days before the ceremony, a number of cadets tested positive for the virus, underscoring the reality that no place is out of COVID-19's long reach.