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Columbus Celebrates The Class of 2020
June 18, 2020 -- As Columbus City School seniors prepare for their virtual graduation celebrations, the District, local organizations and the City of Columbus have spent weeks and days leading up to graduation celebrating the Class of 2020.
“What I really want to say to the students and the Class of 2020 graduates and their families is that 12-years of an education cannot be dwindaled by three months of a pandemic,” said Northland Principal, Jason Johnson.
Johnson, and the staff at Northland High School excitedly passed out caps and gowns to graduating seniors with a little gift from the Northland Alumni Association, t-shirts designed specifically for the Class of 2020.
“It has our student success model on it -- aspire, achieve and adapt, because that is the Viking way,” says Johnson.
While every CCS High School continues to celebrate their seniors with a special send-off, a community-wide celebration for the Class of 2020 is underway. Popping up throughout Columbus you may have seen senior Celebration Yard signs.
“For the Class of 2020 it is so important that we go above and beyond what we would typically do to celebrate high school graduates because they have missed out on so much of their senior year,” said Katina Fullen, Executive Director of I Know I Can.
Made possible by the generous support of I Know I Can, the City of Columbus and Columbus City Schools -- volunteers, including Superintendent Dr. Talisa Dixon, delivered nearly 2,000 celebration yard signs to the homes of graduating seniors.
"It has been awesome to come and visit students' homes and their families,” said Dr.Talisa Dixon. “We are so proud of the class of 2020, I felt so good doing this.”
“It was so special. Even though I did not have my graduation I feel like my entire school staff, the superintendent, supported me and my fellow students so much,” said graduating Columbus Alternative High School senior, Zora Whitfield. “It was probably more special than graduation and I feel so loved and my fellow classmates feel it as well.”
Whitfield, will be attending Denison University in the fall. She plans to study anthropology like her favorite American author, filmmaker and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston.
Columbus City Schools virtual graduation ceremony and watch parties will begin during the week of June 22 through 27. Each high school’s virtual graduation ceremony will be streamed on the Columbus City Schools Facebook page and Youtube channel, aired on the Columbus Educational Access Channel and also simulcast on WCBE 90.5 FM. The full streaming schedule is available on the district's website, www.ccsoh.us under the Class of 2020 tab.