The Class of 2020 has had an unusual senior year, one they and others will remember for years to come.
Despite the year, and graduation, not going to plan as the graduates hope, Sadie Jeffries, H.J. Cody’s valedictorian, says the year will be memorable nonetheless.
“This is definitely not the senior year we had planned or hoped for, but I still think it was special in its own way,” said Jeffries.
What makes the year special for the graduates, is the togetherness the grads have felt in a difficult time, according to Jeffries.
She said the graduates will remember it as a time when they couldn’t be together as a class everyday, but were still connected thanks to social media.
Above that, what will stick out in the minds of the graduates will be how apparent it is that their school and community cares for them.
“The year didn’t go as planned and we couldn’t control it, but I think we will always remember our teacher’s response and how much they cared for us,” Jeffries said.
One way the staff at H.J. Cody showed they cared for their students was the surprise graduation event on May 30.
Jeffries said it meant a lot to have their teachers take the time out of their Saturday to come to their houses to deliver their diploma.
She says the community created in the school is still there for the graduates, and all its students even though they aren’t physically in the building.
“The connections we have made and are school are still there, we are still here. The community is still here,” said Jeffries.
Jeffries continued to say the friendships made in the classroom are still alive despite being in different places.
“We are still the same, and our friendships haven’t changed,” she said.