Graduating from home

Seniors share how they celebrate graduation despite commencement being canceled

BY KILLIAN CANTO

KE ALAKA’I 32 In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, BYU–Hawaii and other Church Educational System schools announced the cancellation of all large gatherings, including graduation ceremonies. A few BYUH students held a small celebration on March 17, almost a month before the previously scheduled commencement. The graduates and their families shared how this wasn’t the graduation they expected, but it was a nice way to say goodbye to BYUH.

Having attended BYUH off and on for the past five years, Brinley Shumway, a senior from Colorado studying musical theater, said she wanted a way to commemorate the years she, her husband and their friends spent working towards graduation. “I wanted to have a good way to celebrate the ending of all of it,” she explained. “I just thought doing a fake graduation would be fun.”

Aaron Shumway, Brinley Shumway’s father-in-law and a BYUH alumnus, said it was a way to give the graduates the experience, even if it was unofficial.

Playing “Pomp and Circumstance” with three chairs on either side of a middle aisle, each graduate was announced with their name, major and GPA. When presented with their “diploma,” which was Aaron and his wife May Shumway’s diplomas from when they attended BYUH, each graduate shared their favorite class and memory from their time in Laie. Six students who said they have been friends since the beginning of their freshman years at BYUH shared four caps and gowns, and had their parents there either physically or via video chat.

Kenner Shumway, Brinley Shumway’s husband and a senior from Laie studying applied mathematics, said he was looking forward to saying goodbye to college and the island. He said when the announcement canceling graduation came, he was shocked. He said, as with all canceled events because of the COVID-19 outbreak, it felt surreal.

“It was weird,” said Brinley Shumway. “Nobody ever thought this was going to happen.” Brinley and Kenner Shumway said they had a sense of peace through it all, despite the effects of the virus.

Even though it was disappointing to lose their chance to walk on stage, May Shumway said the graduates had great attitudes. “It doesn’t really make up, but this kind of thing is a good alternative,” she shared after Aaron Shumway applauded the way she was able to decorate and organize the celebration in such a meaningful way.

Looking forward to leis and celebration with family and friends, one of the six graduates, Davia Kaopua, a senior from

Hawaii studying biology, said she was fine missing the two-hour-long commencement. Kaopua said she was grateful for the opportunity to at least show her gratitude for the people who helped her gain her diploma and her time at BYUH.

“I definitely didn't do it on my own,” she pointed out. “I wouldn’t have gone through graduation without the people who were in that room with me.”

When he heard about the idea, Caleb Menendez, a senior from Colorado studying information systems, said he was excited. “The

Shumways are awesome, and I knew they’d put on

The Shumways joined together with their friends who were also supposed to graduate this semester. Photos provided by Brinley Shumway

something that was very enjoyable.” Menendez said he was grateful. “I felt like we were really respected.”

Sharing their favorite memories, those in the small group said, was one of the more memorable parts. Despite all six of them being such different people, they all have a strong bond. “All of [the] answers were so different, but they were all very sincere,” shared Kaopua.

Menendez said he was grateful for the small group because each person sharing a memory helped their tight-knit group grow closer.

Aaron Shumway said it was nice to hear his son’s favorite memory was meeting his wife, especially since it took place on Kenner and Brinley Shumway’s anniversary.

Being silly and sentimental is what Brinley Shumway said was her favorite part, “We all danced to ‘We’re All in This Together’ from High School Musical. We were just being silly.”

Menendez said the chance to commemorate their time without it being too emotional was one of his favorite parts. He said, “[We] were all happy and having fun rather than crying and being weird.”

Distance was not an issue to allow the graduates’ families an opportunity to participate. Aaron Shumway said, “We FaceTimed as many of the parents in as we could.” He explained, due to short notice, they gathered what parents could come, video-called those on the mainland, and recorded the event for anyone else.

There were good feelings all around, said Kenner Shumway. “It came together because all of us just appreciated each other so much. It was almost like a celebration of the bond between all of us as friends.”

He explained how even though it was not real, it was nice to celebrate with some of their favorite people.

Although their commencement was canceled, their lives were not. Kenner Shumway said it was exciting in a way.

He and Brinley Shumway are finishing their schooling in Colorado, and said it would be good if he could start his career before he graduated, “It's like starting the next chapter while you're wrapping up the previous chapter of life.” •

“It was good feelings all around. It came together because all of us just appreciated each other so much. It was almost like a celebration of the bond between all of us as friends.”

- Aaron Shumway