Danae Morrison may have missed out on all the pomp and circumstance that comes with the final year of high school – senior day away, attending prom, graduation parties and a traditional high school graduation – but she chooses to be happy and not sad. The Aquinas College valedictorian encouraged her peers to also be happy, at their physically-distanced graduation ceremonies.
Morrison spoke to a graduating class – that increased from 66 to 86 at the start of the 2019-2020 academic school year with the relocation of 20 students from Abaco and Grand Bahama to New Providence due to Hurricane Dorian – who had to face the COVID-19 pandemic’s disruption to learning.
The Bahamas confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on March 15, which resulted in education from pre-school through university being shuttered to in-classroom learning and being moved to online platforms.
The Bahamas had 104 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 11 deaths, 88 recovered cases, zero hospitalized cases, five active cases and completed 2,393 tests up to yesterday, according to the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard.
Worldwide there were 10,039,286 confirmed cases with 499,664 deaths.
The valedictorian told her peers they should be happy they made it to their graduation, considering Hurricane Dorian and the new coronavirus (COVID-19).
“Life as we knew it may never be the same again. But like the country is bouncing back, so can we as resilient, young people. We have made it this far by God’s grace – shouldn’t we all, then, be happy?”
Morrison said the 2019-2020 academic year has taught her she must be prepared for change, that she should learn as much as she can in the moment and that she should be flexible.
“For example, when COVID-19 crept upon us, we were ready for virtual classes because we were equipped with the knowledge, especially in technology. Due to the pandemic, some of us will have to adjust our plans for tertiary education – that’s being flexible,” she told her peers.
She implored her fellow graduates to remember that change also means being willing to lead. And that while change is constant, that there are some things that should never change – such as them being lifelong learners who are Christ-centered, loving, healthy, appreciative of their God-given environment, optimally rounded, financially adept and academically capable, which she said are goals to which they should always aspire.
The valedictorian said that it’s only when they embrace these attributes that they can truly succeed. And that they should realize the school’s theme: “Learn, Serve, Lead, Succeed”. She said their chaotic, ever-changing world demands it.
She thanked the school’s administrators, teachers and their parents, on behalf of her fellow graduates, for their unwavering support in getting them through to their graduation day. And said it was their constant encouragement that made them stronger students.
While her parents Dannavan and Elizabeth Morrison, like family members of the other graduates, were unable to sit in the audience to view the ceremony, she gave them special thanks for their unconditional love and support, and said that she knows why they pushed her so hard.
“It might not have appeared that way all the time, but I was and am sincerely grateful,” said Morrison.
Aquinas College Principal Shona Moss-Knowles told the graduates that in spite of not being able to realize all of their long-awaited events and milestones, to take comfort in the fact that some of their dreams may have been dashed but will never be crushed.
She told them that they are a resilient group of young people who will rise above all odds.
“Armed with the eight characteristics of the Catholic School graduate, you will not allow the absence of the traditional senior year and the glitz and glamor of pomp and circumstance to determine your inner strength, faith and true character,” said Moss-Knowles.
The principal reminded them that over the years they demonstrated true tenacity and that Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic will only force them to step boldly out of their comfort zones, be more adventurous and fully embrace what the “new normal” has to offer.
“This new reality brings with it a lot of uncertainty. There will be lots of questions, and you will not have all of the answers, therefore, do not allow fear of the unknown to paralyze your spirited nature. You simply need to be still and listen. If you listen, in the stillness, the Lord will be sure to drown out the noise and purposefully direct your path.”
She encouraged the graduates to continue to think outside of the box, become more innovative and create new avenues to catapult them into their divine purpose.
“You are already winners, so step out with confidence, because your tenure at Aquinas has molded you spiritually, emotionally and academically with the best survival tools – goodness, discipline and knowledge.”
Moss-Knowles, who told the graduates how proud she was of them, encouraged them to remain Christ-centered, character-driven and to always strive to make excellence a habit.
Zyhria Curry was the Class of 2020’s salutatorian.
Graduation ceremonies are only able to take place in groups of 30 people or less. With 86 graduates, Aquinas College opted to celebrate the Class of 2020 with four combined graduation and awards ceremonies of 22 students at each ceremony on Thursday, June 25.
The four 30-minute ceremonies from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., obeying physical distancing protocols, took place in the parking lot in front of the school’s administration building. Students attended the ceremony in alphabetical order and were only allowed to arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of their respective ceremony. Each group marched from the school’s Fine Arts Building to the parking lot for the commencement of their short ceremony.
Parents were able to view the 30-minute ceremony from the school’s parking lot. They were allowed to exit their cars, stand in the parking lot and observe the social distancing protocols by standing three to six feet apart. Parents were also not allowed to assemble or congregate before, during or after each ceremony; once their child’s ceremony concluded they had to exit the grounds.
The post Valedictorian encourages peers to be happy appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/2020/06/29/valedictorian-encourages-peers-to-be-happy/
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