Enlighten Me: Getting graduation back to normal

By Delaware Public Media

Published May 27, 2022 at 1:05 PM EDT

From time to time, we like to highlight work from student journalists.

And in this week’s Enlighten Me, we bring you a story from Abe Burr – a senior in the radio career pathway at Mount Pleasant High who has spent time this spring as an intern with Delaware Public Media.

As part of that internship, Abe reports on how high schools like Mount Pleasant are preparing to hold graduation ceremonies a bit closer to what we saw pre-pandemic.

Mount Pleasant High School student Abe Burr reports graduation returning to pre-pandemic normal

Seniors in the Class of 2022 - like Gavin Munoz - are feeling the anticipation as they prepare to get celebrate the end of their high school careers.

"It’s insane – I feel like we started high school last month," said Munoz.

Munoz is one of over 200 Mount seniors who will complete their high school journey June 5^th. And after 2 years of changes to what graduation looked like thanks to the COVID pandemic, their final chapter will be a bit more normal, with Brandywine School District graduation ceremonies returning to the University of Delaware’s Bob Carpenter Center

"I’m personally excited to go back to the Bob because I think it allows students to have more family and friends there to watch them because we can have a larger number there," said Mount Pleasant school counselor Rachel Herskowitz. " Also, its inside – so it’s not quite as hot. Last year, the graduation was so hot."

Herskowitz says a lot of work goes into making graduation just right – from set-up and practices to just making sure everyone is cleared to walk across that stage and get their diploma.

"It is stressful to plan leading up to graduation. It’s stressful because there are a lot of students – not a lot, but a fair amount of students - that we’re not sure they’re going to graduate or not up until the very last minute while they’re still turning in work." said Herskowitz.

And Herskowitz believes all that work ahead of time to get the graduates to the finish line and plan the ceremony will pay off when students put on their caps and gowns at the Bob

"I think in the experience we provide – we’ve always tried to make sure that no matter where graduation was – it was a memorable experience for the graduates. It think the students this year, even though they don’t have anything to compare it to, they’ll find that the Bob is a nice spot where you can not feel cramped together, not feel hot and be able to have at least 10 of your closest family and friends there to watch you," said Herskowitz.

An experience for senior Gavin Munoz is ready for – even though it means saying good-bye/

"I’m so happy to be doing it, but I’m so sad to leave at the same time because its been the best four years of my life," saisd Munoz.