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Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle
St. Helens High School seniors were driven up to the side of Plaza Square, left, and walked to the steps of the Columbia County Courthouse. As their name was called, each student walked up the steps to receive their diploma and back down the steps to have their photo taken.
Originally published in The Chronicle Vol. 138 June 10, 2020 JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
Smiles and tears, elbow touching instead of handshakes (for social distancing safety) and wishes of good luck were part of the 2020 St. Helens High School graduation ceremony Friday afternoon, June 5. This senior class experienced a ceremony like no other due to state and local restrictions and guidelines triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The graduation was held at the Columbia County Courthouse in the Old Town District of St. Helens. Seniors were driven to the side of Plaza Square, which fronts the courthouse. They exited their vehicles, walked to the steps of the courthouse. As their names were announced, they
walked up the steps, received their diploma, walked back down the steps, had their photos taken, were congratulated by school board members and Superintendent Scot Stockwell, and then each senior returned to their vehicles and left. During their brief trip up and down the courthouse steps, family members were allowed to take photos and video of the graduating seniors from a safe distance. “I feel successful,” graduate Megan Robbins said after she descended down the courthouse steps with her diploma. “Now, I am heading to Oregon State University to study veterinarian medicine.” Robbins said this final year for her and her classmates was challenging because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was definitely a struggle,” she said. “But we got through it by staying hopeful.” “It has been a really rough year,” graduate Dylan
Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle
Each graduating senior took a moment to follow tradition and turn their cap tassel after receiving their diploma and before descending down the steps of the courthouse.
Shierk said. “So I am really proud of my accomplishments.” Shierk said he plans to join the Army next. St. Helens School Board Chair Bill Amos, who has been associated with the high school for 50 years, said the 2020 graduation is significant. “Because the kids have overcome so many obstacles and they have actually had the opportunity in the last few months to view history being made,” Amos said. “We are going through change, not only in this community, but all over the world.” Amos said he hopes the graduates take resilience with them as they move ahead in life. “We are in a changing time and they need to be themselves,” Amos said. “So many times we put expectations on our children to be what we want them to be and now that they are learning that they can stand up and be what they want to be. Now
they are learning that they are the New America.” Superintendent Scot Stockwell and the district administration team spent countless days and hours over the past few weeks working to make sure the seniors were able to have a graduation ceremony under the state’s social distancing restrictions. Stockwell said the courthouse steps ceremony went well. “Yes, this is better then I had imagined,” he said “It was fantastic and I love the way it is individualized and the families got to participate. This is special.” Asked if a similar graduation would be held next year, Stockwell said, “That’s the rumor. This sure looked nice.” St. Helens High School Activities Director Noelle Freshner was in charge of developing and carrying out the graduation event. Fresher was one of the school staff directing the señor families vehicle traffic in and out of the Plaza Square loop in
front of the courthouse during the ceremony. “It went really well,” she said. “It took me a couple of minutes to get the flow down but once we got into the groove it went really well.” Freshner said she hopes next year’s graduation will take place back at the high school football field, the traditional location. Her wish for the departing graduates is of hope. “I hope they understand how much we love them and how much we really wanted to show them that this is a special year, no matter what’s going on,” she said. “We wanted to make them happy.” Some 200 seniors graduated during the St. Helens ceremony held at the courthouse steps. See photos of the graduates in the Wednesday June 3 Chronicle and look for more photos and video of the graduation at The Chronicle’s Facebook page and at thechronicleonline.com.
Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle
St. Helens Mayor Rick Scholl congratulates a grad by touching elbows in a social distancing gesture, as St. Helens School District Superintendent Scot Stockwell, right, applauds.