Steubenville High School holds 153 separate commencements
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STEUBENVILLE -- Sadie Carducci was clear: Celebrating high school graduation in a nearly empty gymnasium, with only a handful of family members to watch wasn't the ending she or her classmates wanted.
"But here we are," said Carducci, salutatorian of Steubenville High School's Class of 2020, reading for a video camera the speech she'd planned to deliver in person to her classmates and their guests.
"This has been hard for all of us, from our senior spring sport season being canceled to no senior prom," she said. "But guess what, Class of 2020? We will all have bigger and better opportunities in our future endeavors. We are strong and this is not the end of our chapters. Twenty years from how, this will not matter. Twenty years from now we will look back on this and say, 'Wow. We went through some pretty rough times but we made it."
Instead of the traditional high school sendoff, to facilitate social distancing, Big Red's 153 graduating seniors were asked to report at assigned times Wednesday and again today to hear their name read aloud, walk across a flower-lined stage and grab a diploma from a stack sitting on a table. After switching their tassels to the left, the grads left the stage and had their photo taken alone and with family, then stood in front of a black screen to do the time-honored cap toss.
"I feel our virtual graduation was important for our seniors and also for their families to be able to watch their son and daughter walk across the stage and receive their diploma." Principal Ted Gorman said.
"I saw a lot of emotions today from parents seeing their child walk across that stage," Gorman added. "We are not able to replace all of the memories that they lost by not finishing out the school year, but today was something that we could get back to the seniors and their families."
Carducci, daughter of Amy and Alford Carducci, said the Class of 2020 will be remembered forever as "the ones who were quarantined."
"Future generations will have to learn about us in history textbooks and will complain about taking a chapter test on the COVID-19 pandemic, just as we always did," she said. "The world may have changed but our stamina and dedication has not. To all of the future nurses, doctors, engineers, electricians … we are not done yet. Let's be role models and show the rest of the world how to be successful even through a global pandemic.
"We will never be forgotten. Roll Red Roll forever."
Valedictorian Alex Barnhouse said each member of the Class of 2020 "has our own paths forward, in work or in school."
"The goal here is not to focus on the sad time apart, but rather the reunion of old friends wherever it may happen," said Barnhouse, son of Lori and Erick Barnhouse. "When we see each other in the future, what will our stories be? Life is the best story ever written and we all have the opportunity to create our own. It doesn't matter if we create a New York Times best-seller or a hidden gem that was barely published, it only matters if we are proud of our work."
Barnhouse said success is what you make of it.
"There is no shame in any goal or passion someone has, there is only shame if they chose not to pursue it," he said. "As we depart from this chapter, I hope that each of you can find the motivation to pursue the next goal in your life. Whether it is college, trade school or joining the workforce, we all have an opportunity to make life what we want.
"I urge you to make the most of every moment," Barnhouse added. "Never take the lives around you for granted, and be the change you want to see in the world. Life is delicate, hug those you love and make sure they know it. Moments may be short but the memories from them last a lifetime."