Every year in high school, seniors typically experience several “lasts”- the last Homecoming, the last class, the last exam. They also get “senioritis” where they may skip a day or forget to turn in assignments. The COVID-19 pandemic changed things.
With local public high school graduations set for Friday in Yuma and San Luis, KAWC’s Victor Calderón spoke to four graduates.
Josue Sanchez said he felt motived to participate in online learning.
"I felt like I had the attention span to do homework online, more so than some of my friends,' said Sanchez, who is graduating from Kofa High School. “I think I liked (learning) online a little better than in person.”
Sanchez will attend Arizona State University in the fall. He said he wants to work in the medical field, as an X-ray technician at first and perhaps later as an ultrasound technician.
Fellow Kofa graduate Carolina Moreno said she felt her schoolmates become not just socially distant but also emotionally distanced when they returned on campus.
"The distance was definitely there, everyone's on their own time, it's not as social as it used to be," said Moreno, who is graduating Top 10 in her class. "The pandemic definitely created distance but my closest friends, we made a commitment to make sure we hang out and check in to make sure we were doing all right during the pandemic."
Moreno will attend Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Ore. in the fall where she will compete on the wrestling team, a continuation of a Somerton wrestling legacy going back to her dad Pepe Moreno and others. She will also major in speech pathology.
Over at Gila Ridge High School, Kylee Gerber said she got used to her own routine, combining school work with practices and competitions for golf and wrestling. Still she knows her class bonded over missed milestones.
"We all had this shared trauma," Gerber said. "For you to have to miss your prom, your (school's) football games... all of the crazy, amazing things that you're supposed to experience, especially your senior year."
"The past year and a half has been a complete blur," she said. "All we've been doing is the same thing every day. You log in and you go to bed."
Gerber will attend San Diego Christian College in the fall where she will play golf.
San Luis graduate Ricardo Famania said he chose not to return to in person classes. He kept busy with classwork and soccer where he helped lead the Sidewinders to become the state runners up.
"It was my senior year," Famania said. "You want to spend time with your friends, with teachers, with your soccer team (outside of practices and games). I didn't see them. It was really difficult."
Famania will attend ASU in the fall on a full scholarship. Like the other graduates I spoke with, they're all looking forward to graduation tonight, the biggest high school milestone. They'll get to experience it with some family members, their classmates and teachers.
"It's a special moment," Famania said. "It's going to be perfect."
