Drive-Thru Graduation

Rachel graduated from Uintah High School on Friday, May 22, 2020!

...I think.
I mean, I was there, but... Well, it's a story. :-)

This was not at the graduation. This was a little tribute that the transportation department made to this year's senior class.

Because of the covid-19 foolishness, the entire nation kept their school children home for the last semester of the 2019-2020 school year. As they announced longer and longer closure times, and then finally that there would be no return to school this year, the big question on everyone's mind was: WHAT ABOUT GRADUATION?!

Well, Uintah High School decided to have a Drive-Thru Graduation Celebration for the Class of 2020. Families decorated their cars, students donned their caps and gowns, and we all were part of a graduation parade.

First of all, Rachel was going to wear Kaylie's cap and gown, but the cap got ruined in the bad weather at Kaylie's graduation last year. the cap was "her ticket in" (for the procession...although I wonder why anyone who wasn't graduating would want to enter...) I tried to order a mortarboard online, but there was a $60 shipping charge! So I made Rachel's cap. We did order a 2020 tassel, but it still hasn't arrived so she used Kaylie's tassel.

Anyway, on Friday, the 22nd, we went to the store and bought some red, white and black balloons (Uintah's colors)—along with the whole rest of the city of Vernal. And then Rachel did some window-painting on Lindsey's car.

painting the windows
Rachel has a fascination for chimeras; that's what she's painting on the back window—in Uintah colors. :-)

She finished the car just in time to put on her regalia.

the kitchen pre-graduation photo

At 5:00 Bruce, Rachel, Ruth Ann (Rachel's best friend) and I were headed to the high school. Along with a lot of other people.

There's a happy girl.
And there were about twenty cars that looked a lot like that one
in front of us on 500 North, and several more behind us.

Here's the driving route we took at the high school:

We turned onto the east drive to the high school, passed the Seminary, then cruised around the parking lot north of the Seminary. Then we headed west and around to the west (stadium) parking lot, where we did more zig-zagging. There were teachers in both parking lots, waving pom-poms and cheering for the grads while dressed in their graduation regalia...and black medical masks with the Uintah "U" stitched on them.

First we passed the Seminary where all the teachers and staff—and their families—cheered for the grads.

The Seminary teachers rise and shout—the grads are out!

Just after we got through the first parking lot, we had to stop and wait for about five minutes and wait to start the actual "ceremonies".  So I hopped out of the car and took a picture.

waiting to go...

This year's graduation was announced, parade-style, on the local radio station, and broadcast through the local TV station (and to the internet) as well. We had a bit of a wait because we were probably right in the middle of the lineup. We were stopped right by the sheriff, who was radioing to someone out on 5th North somewhere monitoring traffic.

There were a few banners on the way, like this one, which had been donated by previous graduating classes.

I don't know who these two guys are—presumably faculty or school board, judging by the way they're dressed. I guess they are helping keep an eye on the traffic flow too.

We finally started moving—slowly—and got to the west parking lot. As we drove around that lot several teachers recognized Rachel, said "hi", and congratulated her. 

Rachel had lots of opportunity to practice her Queen of England wave that evening.

Since I was sitting in the back seat, I had lots of opportunities to take pictures of her in the rearview mirror... And she took some pics, too. :-)

There was a jumbletron on the west side of the parking lot, so we got to see the grads' names and pictures up on the jumbletron as we queued around.

We weren't actually lucky enough to see Rachel's photo on the jumbletron. This picture was taken by a professional photographer (and I stole it off of facebook).

Here's one of the teachers, in a graduation robe, Uintah High ball cap, and Uintah mask. Waving pom-poms.

I'm guessing this kid is the first in line to get his diploma.
The teacher on the right is Mr. Richins, Rachel's chemistry teacher.

Finally we were on the last leg of the graduation procession!

The visitor lot sign marks the way to the diplomas.
I am of mixed opinions about "worst ending ever"...
The school board (?) ...officials, anyway.

Rachel got her diploma, the photographer got in her face, and the kids at home saw her on the TV!

Now Rachel is famous!

receiving her diploma

She opens up the diploma case and sees...
Not a diploma. It's a coupon for a free drink at the Soda Shack, and a paper saying that she'll receive her diploma at the commencement exercises that will be held either on June 26, July 17, or August 21. That's some pretty solid information right there.

Well, I say she graduated.

But wait. There's more!

We drove away from the school and headed to Main Street, where we waited to start a parade through town.

This truck was in front of us as we waited to start driving.

The parade started at 6:45, so we were only waiting for five or ten minutes. Then we drove down Main Street (not Highway 40, which is also called main street by a lot of  Vernalites...), then to Hwy 40, and we finished at 300 East. All along our route people were parked, standing, or sitting on the sides of the streets. Everyone waved and cheered—honking horns, yelling, "Congratulations!"—for every student, not just their own. I love our town!

We had our radio tuned in to the graduation still going on behind us the entire time. Just as we reached the end of the parade route, at 7:30, they announced the last of the graduates back at the high school. :-)

We took a few pics back at home, but I want Rachel to get back in her cap and gown for more graduation photos. Maybe on June 26, July 17, or August 7...

There's the grad!
She's wearing a medal for finishing with a 4.0 GPA, a medal for Best English Student (9th grade) and a medal for majoring in Life Sciences. She is awesome!

Inside, Lindsey had a little graduation gift for Rachel (wrapped very fancily).

ALL of my kids agree that this is the way to do all graduation ceremonies, every time. I am inclined to agree—it was a lot of fun. Rachel got to sit and chat with Bruce, Ruth Ann, and me the entire time, teachers got to greet and congratulate their students on a one-by-one basis, there was something interesting to see and hear all along the way, and the whole town cheered for the grads. It was great!

But, greatest of all, is that my smart, hard-working, motivated, and super-cute daughter graduated Friday! 

Congratulations, Rachel!