Since 1992
Print and digital marketing
AUBURN—“In these times of uncertainty, there is one thing that will be always be true regarding the Class of 2020: we are strong.”
The sentiment of Avery Greco, salutatorian of this year’s graduating class at Saint Dominic Academy, was met with car horns blaring and cheers that filled the school’s parking lot on Gracelawn Avenue in Auburn on Thursday night, June 4, as the academy held its graduation and baccalaureate Mass. It marked the first outdoor graduation in the history of the school.
The COVID-19 pandemic served as the cause and backdrop of the unique ceremony, an unforgettable, socially-distanced event that forced creativity and flexibility from administrators, teachers, students, and families.
“We never expected to have graduation in this parking lot,” said Skye Rogers during her valedictory address. “We never expected to have our senior prom, retreats, and spring sports be cancelled. It’s up to us to be remembered as the class who got through this pandemic stronger and wiser as we take on the future. If there is one word I would use to describe our class now it is ‘resilient.’ We have pushed through all of the obstacles in our way and look at us now. We are graduating. I am so proud of each and every one of us for keeping our heads up and finishing up the four years strong.”
“Graduation is a time when things are given not taken away, when expectations and efforts are finally rewarded and fulfilled. Years of your work and the sacrifice of your families have culminated in this moment. Despite all of the upheaval, today you are graduating,” said the Rev. Seamus Griesbach, school chaplain. He told the students who sat in front of a makeshift stage, six feet apart, proudly wearing their caps, gowns, and, this year, masks.
“You’ve done a wonderful job in a difficult year,” said Marianne Pelletier, superintendent of Maine Catholic Schools. “You are going to have the best stories. In 2070, think about what you’ll be able to tell your grandkids about your graduation. It’s been a difficult year, but you’ve done it with grace.”
And that is how they handled themselves on June 4. With their parents and families proudly watching from inside their cars, each graduate was called up, one at a time, to have their moment in the sun, literally, as J.P. Yorkey, principal of St. Dom’s Auburn campus, told those gathered about the future plans of each student before quickly being drowned out by celebratory honking from the parking lot.
Though the venue and proceedings were unconventional, many of the long-standing St. Dom’s traditions were preserved. The new graduates, upon reaching the stage, picked up a rose which they eventually gave to their parents. A baccalaureate Mass, celebrated by Fr. Griesbach, also preceded the ceremony.
“You are learning a lot about disappointment, what things can disappoint and what things cannot,” Griesbach told the graduates, “what things can be taken away and what things remain. What a critical lesson. The truth is there are some things in life that will never disappoint you, some things that always will, and many things that fall somewhere in the middle. What makes for a good life is the ability to discern which is which. A closeness to God and a deep spiritual life will never disappoint you. You are building on what will last.”
Though the tassel flips and hat tosses will be remembered fondly by the Class of 2020 at St. Dom’s and at schools around the world, current events ensure that these graduates will always have so much more they can reflect upon.
“We should always keep in mind the importance of never taking things for granted and living in the moment,” said Greco. “This is only the beginning. From here, we will all move on and achieve our own unique goals and aspirations. Even so, we will all bring to these endeavors a unique element of ourselves that was always appreciated in these halls.”
