WWW.THEFLORIDACATHOLIC.ORG June 2020
FLORIDA Catholic
MIAMI ARCHDIOCESE
ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO
of the Florida Catholic staff
MIAMI Prospects for the class of 2020 looked bleak in mid-March, when in-person classes were can- celed. As the coronavirus quaran- tine stretched past April and into May, the bleakness solidified: no prom, no class trips, no walk across the stage in cap and gown to receive a diploma. The world was living through unprecedented times, and students and teachers were forced to adapt practically overnight: teaching and learning through Zoom and other videoconferencing platforms; get- ting together with friends only through screens. The teenagers adapted better to the new mode of learning. Par- ents with young children, and their teachers, faced a tougher time get- ting the youngsters to stay on task and learn their lessons without the teachers' personal presence. Nothing in collective memory had prepared anyone for such a moment. The class of 2020 - both eighth graders in parochial schools and seniors in high schools - would go down in history. And indeed, they did. But not for what they missed. The pandemic unleashed a wave of creativity in archdiocesan teachers and admin- istrators, a viral display of imagina- tion and affection that transcended the physical distancing - and iron- ically, made graduation even more memorable for the class of 2020. Not for them a long, formal cere- mony with keynote speakers whose names and words would be forgot- ten in a week. Not for them just one ceremony, in fact, but a series of noisy, colorful celebrations. Nearly all the schools held drive- by events - the "new normal" equivalent of a party - where par- ents and students, their cars fes- tooned with balloons, posters and banners, passed through a phalanx of mask-wearing teachers handing out gifts. Some teachers and administra- tors drove to their students' homes to drop off lawn signs extolling the class of 2020, plus the traditional graduation regalia, yearbooks and other memorabilia. The Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters who administer Our Lady of Lourdes Academy announced
13: Catholic high schools in the archdiocese, including one virtual school. 506: largest graduating class, St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale. 16 : smallest graduating class, ADOM Virtual School. 1,021: attended Catholic schools for 12 years; represent- ing 34% of the graduates of nine schools that obtained those statistics. 96%: college-bound. 68%: earned college scholar- ships. 7%: recognized as national merit finalists, semifinalists, com- mended or Hispanic scholars. 1% : graduated from programs for exceptional learners (disability or impairments). $199.6 million: amount earned in college scholarships. 610,165: number of commu- nity service hours completed. Silver Knights: 9 winners, 14 honorable mentions.
C SS OF 2020: BY THE NUMBERS
Dressed in cap and gown, and evenly spaced out, Archbishop Coleman Carroll High's graduating class of 2020 listen to remarks during their outdoor commencement ceremony held May 30, 2020 on school grounds. (CRISTINA CABRERA JARRO FC) Parents cheer from their car as a member of Msgr. Edward Pace High School's class of 2020 walks across the stage to receive her diploma from principal Ana Garcia, May 29, 2020.
GRADUATION SECTION,
see pages 5-20 for more stories about the class of 2020. Double the grad power: Sisters Marissa, left, and Miranda Rodriguez, right, are all smiles as they wait for the start of their commencement ceremony on the grounds of Archbishop Coleman Carroll High on May 30, 2020. The twins are both headed to Miami Dade College in the fall.
the class valedictorian and saluta- torian live on Instagram and Face- book, dropping by the students' homes to surprise them with the news. (https://www.instagram. com/p/B_p6GX6HaWm/). They repeated the process to announce the winners of other academic and athletic awards. Immaculata-La Salle High School honored its gradu- ates with a new mural facing the athletic field (https://www. facebook.com/ILSroyals/vid- eos/2735171566710648/). Msgr. Edward Pace High School staged a drive-by graduation. Archbishop Coleman Carroll High held its cer- emony outdoors, with students masked and appropriately dis- tanced and parents watching from their cars. P.E. teachers turned into media stars as they taught their classes via Zoom, using objects around the house as exercise equipment. The students, too, overcame the boredom of lockdown by getting creative: making masks and the ties that bind them, making greeting cards for health care workers, and even making a music video. Keeping up with the explosions of joy and creativity has not been easy. The Florida Catholic tried to cover as much as it could and in- clude it in this June 2020 graduation edition, Pages 5-20. It's not clear yet whether in-per- son classes will resume in Septem- ber. What is certain is that the class of 2020 experienced a year to re- member. They made history while living through unprecedented times. May the lessons of the previ- ous three months prepare them to confront whatever challenges the future puts in their way. And may they continue making history by putting their myriad talents to work on creating another "new normal" - of unity, justice, solidarity and peace.
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A year for the history books
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