Elizabeth Guillotte may have spent nearly half her high school career enduring a global pandemic— but she doesn’t want her class to be defined by COVID-19.
On Friday evening, seniors at Franklin High School, dressed in cobalt and gold caps and gowns, processed through a crowd of their loved ones to receive their diplomas. For many graduating this year, their high school career has revolved around ever-changing infection control guidelines.
For much of the year, Franklin High students oscillated between in-person and virtual learning. Senior year rites of passages were either canceled or enjoyed cautiously with masks and social distancing.
As grueling as this experience was, Guillotte, Franklin High School’s 2021 valedictorian, is tired of talking about it.
“Senior year has been one of the longest years. There have been many struggles throughout high school, but most of them seem pretty miniscule in comparison to the events of last year,” she said to a crowd of family members and teachers. “I’m sure a lot of you are expecting me to elaborate further on this, but we’ve heard enough about COVID in the past year that we really don’t need to make our graduation dedicated to it.”
In many ways, Friday’s ceremony was exactly what Guillotte wanted— spectacularly normal.
Students stared intently at their feet to synchronize their steps with Pomp and Circumstance. Parents cheered and whistled, uninhibited by masks. Administrators presented the same student awards they had presented at countless Junes before. Just hours before the event, the district superintendent announced that, thanks to relaxed COVID guidance, the school would nix their guest limits and allow in anyone who wanted to come.
Attending high school during a pandemic was an obvious obstacle. But speakers at the graduation were adamant that this was not the first — or last — challenge these students would have to face.
“Each one of us was living our own story; we traveled our own paths, made our own decisions,” said Megan Sorette, the class’ salutatorian. “No one sitting here today’s having the same story.”
For many students, COVID-19 was just one of many obstacles they had to overcome to graduate. Graduating senior Eric Haines, for example, worked full-time at Burger King, squeezing in his virtual high school classes at night.
“Our class has always prevailed, through the obstacles presented in every situation, specifically with the last year and a half being a complete curveball,” said Lauryl May, the student class president.
Matthew Blouin, the class’ beloved student advisor, imparted a final piece of wisdom to the 60 students he had mentored for four years.
“During your high school years, you’ve demonstrated your tenacity, your drive and your adaptability,” he said. “You will get jobs. Some will be dead ends. Some will be passions, and some will be careers. You will continue to grow in your education, whether that be in some other institution or the lessons that life inevitably with inflict upon you. … Don’t let high school be the best four years of your life.”
Ultimately, Franklin High’s class of 2021 didn’t use graduation to lament about the technical snags of virtual learning or gripe about their dashed senior plans. They reminisced about the famous orange chicken with rice served at the school’s cafeteria, a classmate’s distinct laugh that echoed off lockers through the hallways, yard stick sword-fights and Winter Carnival scandals.
“We’re survived so much— COVID, murder hornets, the Kylie Jenner lip challenge, VSCO girls, the Area 51 raid, ” Sorette said. “We are special, we are passionate, we are golden.”