GRADUATION
Class of 2020 GRADUATION
The Class of 2020 is remarkable in many ways! They earned approximately $24.4 million in scholarships, included four National Merit Finalists and six National Merit Commended Students, one appointment to the US Naval Academy, and the list goes on. But perhaps their most honorable attribute is the way in which they handled the impact that the COVID-19 Pandemic altered the end of their senior year. It all began over Spring Break. An email was sent on March 16 communicating that Chaminade was moving to an online learning environment through April 14. Little did anyone realize that the period would turn from days to weeks and finally to months, with students not returning to in-person learning for the remainder of the second semester of the 2019-2020 school year. While social media was bursting with posts lamenting the cancelled events and missed celebrations particularly for the Class of 2020, our Chaminade Seniors chose to view these turbulent times as simply another part of their Esto Vir Journey. Certainly, they were disappointed in the cancelation of Prom, Senior Class Day, and the dozens of other events that were unable to be held due to the
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restrictions that were in place. But they chose to persevere and make the best possible outcome out of a less than desirable situation. While driving through campus on any given evening in April, May or early Summer, you would find small groups gathered in lawn chairs (socially distanced, of course) and enjoying each other's company. Some of them, along with Mr. Grumich, created a podcast series called “Not Your Normal Chaminade” which helped to connect the entire Chaminade family from a distance, they developed a plan to allow for their traditional Senior Parade on their last day of classes, and the list goes on. Most notable was their willingness and passion for celebrating their graduation from Chaminade as a full class. It was on Sunday, July 26, that they did exactly that. They paraded down Cemetery Lane and onto Don Ohlms '53 Field to receive their well-deserved Chaminade diplomas. The Class of 2020 will be remembered for many things from their time at Chaminade but perhaps their lasting legacy will be their true witness of being living models of Esto Vir. Congratulations Class of 2020! Your Chaminade Family is so proud that you have become the “men the world needs you to be”.
