Calgary high school students excited for ‘normal’ graduation after pandemic

Grade 12 students across Calgary are gearing up for graduation.

Students finishing high school this year have had a unique experience: COVID interrupted the latter half of their Grade 10 year. Things would not return to being somewhat more normal until later in their Grade 12 year.

“Well it was 2019, everything was normal, I was excited, you know, finishing up junior high, coming to a new school and meeting new people,” said Senan Hurley, a Grade 12 student at St. Mary’s High School. “In the first seven months, it all went well, plenty of friends, played a few sports, it was fun. And then March 2020 hit and everything went downhill. COVID happened, we had online classes and the grades were frozen, so that was interesting.

“It was kind of like an extra-long summer break and it was fun for the first two months but then after that, it was like, ‘I don’t know how I feel about this.'”

Hurley says because of the disruptions, graduating and being able to have the full experience of the banquet and grad ceremony is extra exciting.

“Especially seeing the last two classes missing out on their graduation ceremonies and all of the parties and all of that,” said Hurley. “Hopefully, it’s like extra big (which) is what I was hoping (for) because two years of build-up, everyone’s kind of getting back into it, kind of Roaring Twenties Great Gatsby type of thing.”

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Hurley’s classmate Niko Jugovic says after watching classes miss out the last two years, he’s really grateful to be able to walk the stage and take part in all of the other high school festivities.

“For a while, it was looking like we would miss grad too, and now to have it, it’s even more special now because you see what it was like without one,” he said.

Jugovic’s twin sister Maggie added that being able to have a few months of Grade 12 in a normal setting without masks and distancing has been exciting.

“I think everyone will appreciate graduation a bit more knowing that it wasn’t a possibility for the last two years,” she said.

St. Mary’s principal Luigi Fortini pointed out that the last couple of years were not without graduation altogether, the events just looked a bit different.

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Instead of the usual ceremony where students walk across the stage, they had drive-in ceremonies where students were still able to get their diplomas and take pictures.

“It was fun, different from the traditional,” he said.

Fortini says when they were given the green light for a normal grad ceremony and banquet he informed the Grade 12s right away.

“It was nothing but a roar of cheer and applause,” said Fortini. “Even daily in our school the energy, the enthusiasm, things are getting back to normal.”

He commends students for their ability to adapt over the last couple of years, switching between online and in-person learning many times, and often with little to no notice.

“It’s just a really nice way to end their high school career with us at St. Mary’s. We’re so happy for them and looking forward to it.”