Going virtual has become commonplace in this era of COVID-19, but this year, Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center saw its staff and administrators organize a Celebration of Graduates for seven students unlike any preceding event of its kind.

Normally, such ceremonies take place on the Eagle Rock campus but, due to the health pandemic, the mountainside campus ion Colorado shut down in early March, with all students returning to their homes in order to prepare for remote learning and ongoing student support.

As a result, the school did not have a graduation ceremony last trimester. Instead, they had a Celebration of Graduates.

That meant the 80th trimester Celebration of Graduates, was delivered online via Zoom, on April 10, and featured a prepared video of faculty speeches, shout outs, virtual journals, remembrances, and even advice from the departing grads to their friends and current Eagle Rockers.

Those graduating last trimester include Xavier Hagood-Edmeade, Alizja Serret, Dalan Farris, Burgess “Bea” Cotham, Ay’Niah Rochester, Jacob Israel, and Joyce Page. And while these students missed out on a “regular” high school graduation ceremony, all seven were invited back to “walk” the next time a graduation is held on campus.

What was important for these grads to hear was praise from family members, instructors, and fellow students — all of whom worked hard to earn their high school diploma. For some of these students, graduation did not seem at all like a possibility just a few years ago.