Creek holds drive - through parade for seniors — Grad ceremony planned for July 30 but so far, no audience allowed

BY FREDA MIKLIN GOVERNMENTAL REPORTER

It didn’t matter that the sun was beating down mercilessly on the hot pavement

“We still plan to hold an in-person ceremony at the Stutler Bowl on July 30th. It will be at 8:00 am to avoid hot weather. At this time, the conditions approved by health officials do not allow for an audience.”

– CCHS Principal Ryan Silva

at 11:00 a.m. on June 4 when the parade was scheduled to begin. Teachers, counselors, administrators, and dozens of staff members came decked out in everything from oversized aluminum-foil hair bows to tutus in Cherry Creek High School (CCHS) colors. They were all there to show their love and support for the graduates who missed their last quarter of high school and the graduation ceremony with family and friends that should have followed.

CCHS Principal Ryan Silva told us how the idea came about. “We talked about the parade idea collectively as high school principals in the Cherry Creek School District. All of us have worked hard to celebrate and honor our seniors during this challenging time. The parade seemed like another way to let this group of seniors know we care about them and we are proud of them,” he said. Silva gave all the credit to Krista Keogh, CCHS activities director, saying “She made all of the magic happen by planning a great day.”

Silva added, “We still plan to hold an in-person ceremony at the Stutler Bowl on July 30 th . It will be at 8:00 am to avoid hot weather. At this time, the conditions approved by health officials do not allow for an audience.”

Keogh said, “When we realized that there might not be a graduation ceremony, we tried to get creative about ways in which we could still give the kids their diplomas in a celebratory way. We saw kids in the community having birthday party “drive-by parades” and the idea for a parade with the high school kids was born. Even though we are all having ceremonies at the end of the summer, the kids already have their diplomas in hand and have technically “graduated” from Cherry Creek.”

We asked Abby Malloy, who was CCHS student body president this past year and is headed to Texas Christian University (TCU) to study business, Spanish, and leadership how she felt about the parade and the events of the past few months. Abby said, “The senior parade at CCHS was so special and sweet. Parents, teachers, and faculty came together to make the seniors feel so celebrated and loved during this unprecedented time. The last few months were challenging to finish offour 13 years of education on a computer screen. Not only was it difficult to put in the work, but more so, it was sad to see our high school careers end this way. Despite the chaos, the community came together in a way that I’ve never seen before to make the 2020 graduates feel known, loved, and celebrated. Personally, I’m most looking forward to the return to normalcy in my future academic endeavors at TCU. Through this time, I have learned the true value of my education and the privilege it is to spend time with my best friends. The end of my senior year was far from ideal, but I’m so thankful for my friends and family who made this time so sweet.”

Will Holst, headed to University of Texas-Austin as a pre-med major, described

“When we realized that there might not be a graduation ceremony, we tried to get creative about ways in which we could still give the kids their diplomas in a celebratory way.

– CCHS Activities Director Krista Keogh