A different kind of senior year

Graduating+senior+Brittany+Mobley

Graduating senior Brittany Mobley

Photo provided by Fabrizio Ramos
Graduating senior Fabrizio Ramos

The class of 2020 is facing something nobody expected at the beginning of this academic year. Due to COVID-19, they will have a postponed graduation.
This came not unexpectedly to the students, but there was still some disappointment from the graduating seniors.
“At first, my feelings towards graduation being postponed were a mix of frustration and disappointment,” said Brittany Mobley, dental hygiene major. “In my personal experience at GHC, when you go through a program as vigorous as the GHC dental hygiene program and invest so much time and efforts towards finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, walking across that stage, and getting your diploma — for all of that to come to a standstill, there are so many emotions that come along with that.”
Mobley added that she does agree with the school’s decision to postpone the ceremony, as people’s lives are more important.
Some GHC graduates had already purchased their cap and gown for the ceremony.
“I was really looking forward to graduation,” said Fabrizio Ramos, business administration major. “It’s an important step moving forward in anyone’s life. I bought my cap and gown literally the day before classes got canceled, but I understand why they had to postpone graduation.”
Students are still on track to complete the coursework needed to graduate thanks to the dedication of the faculty and staff in moving all classes to an online, remote learning format. Many classes have scheduled meetings in place of class now.
“I love the app Zoom that the school decided to go with,” said Madison Garnett, criminal justice major. “I had my first Zoom meeting today with my professor and it didn’t feel much different than when school was in. I appreciate the steps the school is taking to keep us safe.”
The online class structure sadly cannot accommodate some of the healthcare related clinical requirements.
“Our main focus before all of this was strictly focusing on completing our clinical requirements, National Dental Board examination and our CRDTS examination,” Mobley said. “Being shut down has set us all back from a clinical standpoint where all of our focuses were on.”

Graduating Senior Madison Garnett Photo Provided by Madison Garnett

“We as humans and a society are resilient,” said Ashlynn Copen, psychology major. “Even though this is something most of us never expected to see or endure, I hope we can come out more united as a nation. We are all in this together and I think that is important to remember. We still need to be kind to one another, look out for each other by doing our part, and honestly just be open to change.”