Arroyo Grande High School celebrates Class of 2020 after ‘very special and unique year’
It rained. Teachers wore masks. A World War II-era military vehicle even made an appearance.
In short, Arroyo Grande’s 2020 graduation was one its seniors won’t soon forget.
After an unprecedented senior year, Arroyo Grande High School’s Class of 2020 couldn’t exactly have a traditional graduation ceremony, thanks to the coronavirus and social distancing restrictions that have kept them physically away from the school the past two months.
So they had to roll with it.
On Saturday, May 30, the South County high school celebrated the achievements of its 467 seniors with a drive-through graduation ceremony on its campus.
Students filed through in cars with their families, before arriving at the front parking lot, where the students left their cars and made their way down a banner-decorated walkway to a makeshift stage at the front of the school. There they received their diplomas as onlookers nearby honked horns and cheered for the students.
Many of the students’ well-wishers took the opportunity to creatively celebrate their graduates: they drove decorated cars, small buses and even one large 1943 half-track military vehicle, complete with a person in an inflatable eagle costume.
After getting their diplomas, the students wound past a long line of mask-wearing and waving teachers and administrators before finally rejoining their families in their cars as graduates.
Because of the school’s size, the ceremony was split into two phases: a mid-day promenade of students between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and the rest of the class between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Meanwhile in the Village of Arroyo Grande nearby, a community effort recognized the graduating seniors with donated banners and signs listing their names and showing photos from their senior year.
The celebration was the second adjusted high school graduation ceremony in San Luis Obispo County. Central Coast New Tech High School in Nipomo held a similar ceremony on Thursday, May 28.
Arroyo Grande High School Class of 2020 achievements
Though their senior year was cut short, Arroyo Grande students celebrated a range of achievements on Saturday.
After the 2018-19 school year, in which the high school had 11 valedictorians, many might have presumed that would be the most valedictorians the school would likely see in some time.
Not true.
Arroyo Grande’s Class of 2020 boasts 12 valedictorians, all with GPAs of more than 4.4.
Those students are: Connor Angle, Hailey Goodell, Nathaniel Hansen, Tarek Hariri, Keyan Patel, Devansh Sapovadia, Shareef Tubeileh, Elaina Smolin, Stanley Vinet, Theo Waitkus, Madison Wong and Shae Zenker.
Of the 467 graduates, 159 will be moving on to four-year universities, 250 will attend local community colleges, 11 will go into the military and three will attend trade schools.
Arroyo Grande High School grads from the Class of 2020 received more than $200,000 worth of scholarships, spread across more than 100 students.
Principal Dan Neff said he was proud of the way this year’s students faced a unique and challenging year.
“The AGHS Class of 2020 is filled with students that are eager and ready to take on the next chapter of their life,” he said. “While they are going to go on their different journeys, they all were part of a very special and unique year, showing courage and determination to make this year the best they possibly could. They will be greatly missed and we wish them the best of luck in their journey after high school.”
This story was originally published May 30, 2020 at 2:25 PM.
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