Class of 2020 by Bob & Jean Blaisse Proud Parents
Let’s Recognize All Graduates of Any Class of 2020.* And Please, Indulge These Two Proud Parents. Photos courtesy of Bob Blaisse
For months, we’ve been social distancing. We have sacrificed so much to save lives during a world pandemic. Locally, our stay-and-shelter mandates required us to sacrifice social contact and social activities. We now easily recognize and appreciate the contributions by those on the front lines of the Coronavirus, where essential workers treat the sick and also serve in our communities, to keep us safe and keep us fed. Our lives changed. We traded social contacts for online Facetime friendships and Zoom meetings, and waving to those we saw while walking in our neighborhoods. We all see all how social distancing has forced us to sacrifice so much for our own safety and the safety of others. We miss the seasonal events of Spring, and we know this summer will be different too. But most disappointing are the canceled life events, which may never be rescheduled. On Sunday, June 21st, our sons — John, Joe, Jimmy and Jerry — will likely plan some special Father’s Day celebrations. I (Bob) am very honored to be a Dad. But I would trade Father’s Day honors for years if only the graduates of the Class of 2020 could be honored with the graduation ceremonies that may never happen, with the pomp and circumstance of ceremonial honors that graduates deserve, to be recognized among their classmates, with friends and family attending. As we remember to thank active military and veterans and first responders for their service, and to honor essential workers on the front lines of service during the pandemic, let’s also reach out this month to graduates of any Class of 2020, to offer similar respectful praise and acknowledgement of their achievement. Sadly, there will likely be no formal or festive ceremonies for students graduating from elementary school, middle school, high school, trade school, or a college or university. That is sad for our youth. Let’s honor fathers and grandfathers on Father’s Day. But all month, let’s also acknowledge Class of 2020 graduates whose long-anticipated graduation ceremony as a life event may be permanently sacrificed for safety. Let’s make that effort to lavishly extend our social praise for each graduate’s achievement, with our best wishes for continued success in their next life chapter. Ceremonies are not needed to graduate. It is hard work needed to fulfill graduation requirements and earn a diploma. The Class of 2020 may carry an asterisk after their year, inviting 30
Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors
June 2020
*Class
of 2020: Your graduation year may carry an asterisk.
recognition that more was required of those graduates due to the sudden transition to online learning and the required loss of social contact students would have had with their teachers and classmates for several months before graduation. The Class of 2020 was tested. Stay and Shelter was their internship. They all passed, and they all deserve our social recognition! Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors salutes the graduates of the Class of 2020. We applaud your special achievement in these very special times, and we wish you continued success in the next stage of your schooling or your transition to your working career. Jimmy Blaisse: We’re So Proud of You! We had begun to see “signs” show up in our son Jimmy, a Class of 2020 graduate at Archbishop John Carroll High School in Radnor. Not signs of COVID-19 concern, but signs of “Senior-itis,” which we expected would appear in the second semester of his Senior year. It arrived for sure, triggered by warmer weather and planning for Senior Prom and the Senior Week celebration after June graduation. And then came the pandemic. Enjoying Senior year sports and school activities with friends would not happen. There would only be faces online while distance learning instead of in classrooms. The COVID-19 pandemic caused Jim to suddenly lose touch with school friends he may not see again. And he lost his weekend job as a Caddie at Rolling Green Golf Club, where he had planned to work mornings this summer before working as an EMT in the evenings. Jim was more than 200 hours into his EMT Certification course. But stay-and-shelter put that on hold, after he had given up winter weeknights and Saturdays to attend certification classes so he could pass the PA Certification
