Graduation for class of 2020

Though it lacked the in-person fanfare of a typical graduation, the Wrangell High School Class of 2020 officially graduated last Friday evening, May 15. A small graduation ceremony was held on May 12, with seniors receiving their diplomas. A video stream was shown publicly on the 15th including slideshows of students, speeches from the faculty and student body. A parade through town was also organized after the video aired, where people could drive by the homes of the graduating students to congratulate them.

The welcoming address was given by Salutatorian Madison Blackburn. She wanted to thank everybody for joining the graduation ceremony via the internet. Even though they could not come together in person because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Blackburn said, she could not have asked for a better class or community to graduate with. Living in Wrangell has many benefits, she said, and having a tight-knit and supportive community is one of them. She also wanted to give thanks to the teachers and staff of the Wrangell School District.

"Throughout our entire educational career we have all had many different teachers who all had different teaching ways, but every teacher cared about us," Blackburn said. "Not only about our education, but the people we have become."

Lillian "Jing" O'Brien provided the valedictorian address during the graduation ceremony. Like Blackburn, she wanted to thank her classmates, teachers, parents, and the wider community for all of their support, as well as to thank everyone for tuning into Wrangell's first-ever online graduation.

"I truly appreciate each one of you for taking the time to celebrate this momentous moment in our lives despite the unprecedented circumstances we are all facing," O'Brien said. "While I never expected to make my speech to an empty room and a video camera, at least I won't know if nobody is laughing at my jokes."

During her speech, O'Brien recognized her co-valedictorians Kaylyn Easterly, Tasha Massin, and Laura Helgeson. She also shared several quips about how their "2020 vision" has not turned out the way they expected, and how this was certainly a year nobody will ever forget. She pointed out that they were the first class to have the luxury of wearing sweatpants in the comfort of their own homes while graduating.

On a more serious note, O'Brien wanted to reiterate thanks to all of the people in her life, and the wider community, for their support through the years. From fellow students to family members, to everyone else in town, Wrangell is a good place to get one's start in life, she said.

"There's a common saying, 'It takes a village to raise a child,'" O'Brien said. "In Wrangell this is proven over and over again. I'm so grateful to have grown up in a community that supports its youth in every possible way."

Jack Carney provided the commencement address. Carney is a longtime teacher and coach in the Wrangell School District, and currently serves as the interim principal. It has been a ride, he said, especially the past two months. He wanted the class to enjoy the culmination of their high school careers, but to also remember everyone else who helped them get to where they were now.

"Seniors, these last few weeks have been a whirlwind, there are many emotions going on," Carney said. "You're probably a lot like I was senior year: Split between 'Who cares about graduation?' and 'Graduation is a really important step in life.' I personally didn't realize how important graduation was until I actually walked across the stage myself and I saw the look on my parents' faces. It was then I realized graduation wasn't just about me. Don't get me wrong, this is your day, you earned it, but it's also about those who sacrificed to get you here. It's their win, as well as your win."

Carney has had the opportunity to work with the Class of 2020 since they were in seventh grade, he said. The one exception amongst the class is senior Danika Doak-Smith, who Carney said he has known since sixth grade. Through that time, he has gotten to know each of them well and has developed many fond memories and funny moments with them. There are more inside jokes and stories with the graduating class than he would like to admit, Carney said.

"I've been there for many big moments," he said. "I got to see Kaylyn and Maddy cut down the basketball net after winning regions over at Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka. Hunter and Jonah won five individual wrestling titles between them and each one was exhilarating to coach as I watched them walk off the mat. Cheering on Tasha and Kaylyn as we streamed the volleyball team's state finals games ... Trevor explaining a couple of weeks ago, maybe a month and a half ago, how he got around my bathroom break policy for the past five years. Me convincing Sean Gillen my nickname was the 'Bull Moose.' Or the time I had black dry erase marker smudged across my face during class and none of the kids would tell me what they were laughing about."

Along with a trip down memory lane, Carney had some advice for the future to share with the graduates. How people react in a crisis situation says a lot about them, he said, and having the right type of leaders in place can determine how a group gets through that crisis. While the Titanic was sinking, he said, there were people panicking and not helping. Others were getting lifeboats ready and guiding people to safety. Over a century later, Carney said, people know who was who in that situation. Students should remember, going forward with their lives, that history has its eyes on them. Crises are not an "if" but a "when," he said, and the graduates should be prepared to face them.

Carney also wanted to encourage the graduates to not waste their youth while they have it. There are many aspirations and future career goals amongst the 25 graduating students. He told the students to do everything they could to stay motivated and keep working towards their goals while they have the time and energy to do so. Invest in others, explore the world, and never stop learning, he added. Whatever the future holds, Carney said that the graduates should never settle for mediocrity or doing "just enough" to get by. They should always do their best and set lofty goals, whatever they are doing.

Carney also encouraged the graduating class to be mentally tough and to never give up on their goals. There are many examples of mental toughness amongst the class, he said, where students pushed through difficult situations where nobody would blame them for quitting. Madison Blackburn was one such example, he said, with her fear of public speaking and still giving the salutatorian speech. After several years of not being able to play on the basketball team because of a heart condition, he gave as another example, Hank Voltz who went out onto the court for the first time this year, where he immediately stole the ball and sank a three-pointer in the opening seconds of the game. Even the class pushing through the current pandemic to complete their senior projects and turn in scholarship applications was a good example of mental toughness. If the students can get through these hardships, Carney said they were glimmers of hope that they can handle any other hardships they come across in life.

"You're adults now, so I'm asking you to start adulthood right," Carney said, wrapping up his speech. "Build your lives on gratitude and forgiveness, these are some of the best ways to display true mental toughness. Like I've heard in a few graduation speeches before, remember you always have Wrangell to come back to."