WESTLOCK – At St. Mary School in Westlock, staff organized a drive-by celebration May 29 in the school’s front yard for its 17 graduates.
Laid out on the lawn were pictures of each student, balloons and a congratulations message. Meanwhile, students and their families drove by, got a present from principal Vance Nakonechny, and had the chance to see their friends and teachers, all from a safe distance.
Nakonechny said it was important to offer students some sort of celebration at a time when their typical graduation would’ve happened.
For the students, who’ve been indoors and away from their friends and colleagues since mid-March, this was the perfect opportunity to dress up and see one another.
Graduate Nancy Onuche right next to her lawn sign: her graduation photo. Andreea Resmerita/Westlock NewsGraduates Breann Nadeau and Tiff Larsen said it’s “really weird” to be graduating during a pandemic.
“We’re making the best of it,” said Nadeau.
Learning online, they agreed, is something to get used to. For Nadeau, who’s moving on to the University of Alberta to study psychology, that process might continue into the fall.
And neither was mad about not having to write diplomas this year.
Nadeau will spend the summer working at the Canadian Tractor Museum. Larsen says she’d like to take a year off school, and a pandemic does seem like the right time to do so.
Just before the pandemic, Larsen spent some time working at a veterinary clinic, taking care of pets who were going in for surgery. She marked that as the highlight of her Grade 12 experience.
In the meantime, they’re all still waiting for the fall graduation, when hopefully they’ll get the same experience as their predecessors.
“It all depends on whether the quarantine has been lifted and how big of a gathering we can have,” says Nadeau.
Still, both say they’d like to see “a party!”
Graduate Victoria Pelletier's dog has a word with St. Mary School principal Vance Nakonechny during the school's May 29 drive-by graduation. Andreea Resmerita
