Students from Unaka reflect on graduation: Part one

Published 3:53 pm Wednesday, May 27, 2020

It was a unique celebration Tuesday night as Unaka High School bid farewell to their seniors.

Lilie Kiser and MaKenna Lewis are two of Unaka’s latest alumni. They decided to share their reactions to the event.

Lewis began by saying she felt as though the administration did their best for her graduating class.

“It was such a new experience, I was just trying to comprehend it, but I believe they did make us feel very special,” she said. “I felt as if our administration really put in effort to give us something to remember.”

Similar to Lewis, Kiser said the ceremony was unique in a good way.

“It’s not every day you get to tell someone you graduated from a drive-in,” Kiser said.

Both students ultimately said they were able to have loved ones there, despite social distancing guidelines that had originally led to concerns over the amount of vehicles permitted.

Students were able to walk across the stage during the ceremony as well and have special moments for their families to see.

In reflection of this graduation, Kiser said she will look back on this fondly.

“Honestly, I will look back on this memory fondly because it was different and unique, and that’s definitely how I would describe my class,” she said.

Lewis said she actually preferred this over a traditional graduation.

“I enjoyed this graduation more than a traditional one, not only because we were making history, but I’m someone who doesn’t like to follow tradition,” she said. “To me, this graduation was new and groundbreaking. I think it was much better to have it in a drive-in setting later at night, because having it at our school’s gym is always cramped and hot. I also enjoyed that they made the ceremony a good length and didn’t make it long as it has been in years past.”

Lewis and Kiser also said they believe they got what they deserved with this graduation. Lewis commended the school system for making efforts to put on this ceremony.

Kiser compared this experience overall to that of a movie.

“It was like a movie in a way, like we were part of something that’s gonna be remembered, that we won’t just be another class that graduated, but the class that graduated,” she said.

Lewis reflected on her senior year by saying that this pandemic changed things up, and in some ways making people rethink things.

“It was unbelievable in the beginning to see what the entire world was experiencing,” she said. “I believe this pandemic actually made my senior year better, because it has made many people rethink their wastefulness and appreciate nature more. I will also forever be able to remember what an insane year I graduated in. Losing part of my senior year seemed like a minuscule loss compared to the tragedy the world was experiencing, but I didn’t realize how much I really would’ve missed not having a graduation until I attended mine.”

Continuing with the idea of a change in perspectives, Kiser said this is just one obstacle she will overcome in life.

“I think this was just one challenge I’ll overcome in life,” she said, “Like our principal said, it’s not about what life gives you, it’s about how you use it and how you move past it.”