Crown City Magazine - June2020

By SAMANTHA BEY

Graduation speeches often quip about how it’s time for the eager faces in the audience to embark upon the real world. Students in the class of 2020 were born in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, into a nation reeling from a shocking blow to life as we knew it. Nineteen years later, as they prepared to wrap up their senior year with the time-honored traditions of senior prom, yearbook signing parties, and spending time with their friends, the coronavirus set the world on fire again. The shutdown meant no more public celebrations to commemorate all their hard work. Before even taking flight from their Coronado nest, this year’s senior class has already had a heavy dose of the real world.

However, Coronado High ing, but knows their social spirit, be a more fulfilling way. Great School teachers describe this positivity, and passion will guide things are coming from them. I group of students as resilient, them through this, and serve am so lucky to learn with them, meaningfully connected to one them as the leaders of tomorand from them.” another, spirited, bold, and kind. row. “The last few months of the Anna Woerman, who works And, as we navigate a post-covid school year are always the sweetclosely with seniors as the yearworld, it’s these young adults and est. The kids start to realize how book teacher and CoSA Digital the perseverance, strength and close they are to the finish line Arts teacher, has traveled with vision they possess, who’ll chamand they reconnect with friends many of them, and relishes in pion a bright new world ahead they’ve fallen away from, or they her positive memories with these for decades to come. look at the person they’ve gone special kids. She has so much

Casey Tanaka, who graduated to school with forever but didn’t optimism for their promising fuCHS in 1994 and has taught AP really know and they make a new tures despite the present difficulty. US History and U.S. Government friend. The class of 2020 is reShe says to her beloved students: there for 21 years, is confident the grettably missing some of the best “Oh, class of 2020: Resilient, class of 2020 will weather this parts of everything they looked generous of spirit, wise beyond storm with grace and gumption, forward to. All classes have their your years, clever, hilarious, relatand instill even more pride in own vibe and this one is a unique able, and that fierce and admithe Islander name. “What I rable support you have for have cherished most about your community of friends. being an Islander is being The group of seniors that I around people who genuinehave known since they were ly value, respect, and love wee baby freshmen will be one another. What makes utterly missed. I will forever the class of 2020 stand out, be grateful for your love of is actually also what blends DigArts, Disney, Star Wars, them in with the best Islandmemes, puns, animal crackers I have ever known. That ers, hidden people, and the is to say they have the fierce many Iceland and Japan love and loyalty to one antrip experiences that we’ve other that will last all their shared. I know you will lives. They’ve been dealt the THRIVE in this ever-changworst hand I’ve ever seen, ing world and I am so glad losing their last semester to know that we will stay together on campus, but they will emerge from this as bonded and tight-knit as any Islander class since the

Left to right: Katelyn Smith, Kendall Chapko, Lauren White, Madi Laski, Nate Aldworth, Sasha Wong, John Shoemaker, Brendan Chapkoclients.

Heather Bice, who has taught traveled the world representing Katniss doesn’t bring down the senior English at CHS since 2008, the USA. Others aspire to live in Capitol, the Cat in the Hat leaves feels the palpable disappointment ways that break from the expectthe house a mess for the poor her senior students are experienced because they know there might children just as their mom returns

connected. I cannot wait to see what you will do next!”

Nate Aldworth, who is the senior class advisor and first one graduated in 1913. In group of students. They are solid has taught honors and AP World 20 years they will look like any in their beliefs and passionate History at CHS for 14 years other crew out of CHS, but they about life, social liberties, and the shares his students’ feelings of will be the only ones to have done environment in ways I wish I had loss during this challenging time. so by stepping on, and then over, been at their age. They check in He says to the class of 2020, this horrendous coronavirus. The on each other and look out for “Imagine for a moment that you class of 2020 will be remembered each other, too. Some of them are are reading a book. Just as you as one of the greatest classes so brilliantly positive after quietly were about to reach the drafor overcoming one of the most dealing with terrible and frightenmatic conclusion, the book ends bewildering setbacks. They will ing aspects of life. Some of them mid-sentence. Harry doesn’t get always be one of my favorites.” started new sports teams and a chance to take on Voldemort,

CoSA Musical Theatre and Drama Seniors from their Musical Theatre Revue this past December.

Homecoming Court: Zoe Hosley and Cole Mullins being crowned Homecoming Queen and King

Seniors and staff kickball game participants.

Homecoming Court: Gino Fredrick, Anne Cook, Evan Grim, Jake Hacker, James Withoft, John Shoemaker, Lilly Grimes, Maddie Eastlik, Kendall Chapko, Lissette Puebla, Cole Mullins and Zoe Hosleyclients.

from shopping. Makes a person not want to read… ever. For the past four years you have slowly been completing the masterpiece of high school. You had reached what would seem to be the fi nal chapter. The moment when the pay-off of three and half years of toil was about to pay off. Then March 13th everything came screeching to a halt, abruptly ending your high school career just as the dramatic conclusion was about to unfold. I can only imagine how painful this must be for so many of you. Let’s face it, you’ve had future memories stolen from you. Prom, Powder Puff, CoSA performances and showcases, spring sports, award ceremonies, and the list goes on and on. These rites of passage pushed aside as we collided separately toward the predetermined end of the school year. I sympathize with you; I hurt for you. Above all else, I am sad to not get to celebrate the end of the year with you. Whether you know it or not, graduation is about more than you. Yes, you are the graduates, but we teachers enjoy nothing more than watching our students fi nish their journey of high school, graduate and then move on with the next phases of their lives. We were also robbed of this rightful ending. Much of what makes Coronado High School so special to me is the connections I’ve made with students. I truly have enjoyed getting to know many of you over the past few years. Something I could always look forward to was break when various members of our hang out crew would show up. Some of my favorite moments of the past year involve spending time at break with everyone who stopped by including Sasha, Madi, Katelyn, John, Lauren, Kendall, Brendan, Lauren among others. It is those times that I will miss the most. Whether we were talking about sports, crushes or too much homework, never a day would pass without joy and laughter. I’ll miss the jokes, the teasing, and of course the drama. Thank you for that.”

Ian Silverman has been at CHS for 20 years, and has exclusively taught seniors in AP U.S. Government/ Politics & Economics since 2011. He joked with his seniors in January that they’d already had a memorable senior year. He explained that they’d already experienced only the third presidential impeachment in U.S. history, several months of heated campaigning by the largest and most diverse fi eld of candidates ever in a Democratic presidential primary, and a fl ood over Thanksgiving break that displaced them so they had to sit in other teachers’ classrooms through December. But, in the true resilient and cooperative nature raved about by all their teachers, Silverman (affec

tionately called “Silvy”) said, “Not only did I not hear a single student complain once about having to temporarily use Mrs. Chrisman’s or Mrs. Belong’s classroom, but the beloved couch in the back of my classroom (a very comfy, prized seat for the student who could correctly answer a trivia question at the beginning of class) was damaged beyond salvaging by the standing water on my classroom fl oor, and several of the Seniors immediately set about starting a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for a replacement couch! That sort of selfl essness, strength and generosity of spirit is the perfect example of what makes this class of 2020 so special.”

And then, the pandemic hit. “But throughout all the chaos and disruption,” said Mr. Silverman, “these Seniors have been nothing short of inspirational in their resilience and ability to just rise above it and keep working. I can’t imagine a group of students who could ‘roll with the punches’ and just get on with it regardless of what’s going on around them better than this class of 2020. It is somewhat fi tting that this group has had such a memorable senior year, because they are such a memorable senior class.”

Sandra Davis, who has taught math for 30 years at CHS, has had a rollercoaster year of her own, and the class of 2020 weathered the storm alongside her, supporting her in a way that highlights their collective compassion. “I can honestly say this is one class I will never forget,” she said. “My year started with a cancer diagnosis (literally the Friday before we started in August) and ended with a pandemic! These students were unbelievably caring and helpful to me: they rallied (even sent a care package home post-surgery with a custom shirt, card, and treats), treated my sub kindly, and welcomed me back with a sign and cookies. That kindness continues during remote teaching with every email starting with, ‘I hope you are ok’ or ‘how’s your family’ or some other personal check-in. We’ve traded recipes and pictures of pets and art projects. These students may have missed some math lessons, but they are learning what really matters.”

The class of 2020 has endured a very diffi cult end to their last year of high school. But despite the setbacks, they are a wonderfully resilient, well-adjusted, positive, socially conscious, and compassionately connected group of young adults. We may be navigating a world full of chaos and unknowns right now, but we can rest a little easier knowing this bright group, who persevere and soldier on, are at the helm when it comes to the real world of tomorrow.