Spain Park celebrates graduation for Class of 2020 at Hoover Met
The Class of 2020 at Spain Park High School never expected to spend the last two months of their senior year out of school due to a global pandemic, but it turned out to be a blessing, according to a valedictorian who spoke at graduation Wednesday night.
On one hand, the seniors felt extremely hurt and frustrated that they didn’t get to celebrate at a senior luau, senior prom or other typical senior milestone event, senior Jessica Jacob said.
“It didn’t feel completely real, and it still doesn’t feel real,” she said.
But on the other hand, she thinks having their senior year cut short only makes their time and experiences at Spain Park more valuable, Jacob said in her speech.
“We’ve shared some amazing experiences, and we’ve also faced incredible challenges, but through everything, we stayed together and handled the challenges as a team and as a family,” Jacob said. “It’s important that we stay together at this difficult time in history, too.”
UNUSUAL CEREMONY
About 310 of the 392 graduates in the Spain Park Class of 2020 participated in the unusual ceremony at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium where everyone was required to wear masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Graduates sat in chairs spaced at least 6 feet apart on the baseball field, and the crowd also was spread out in the stands with space between households.
People from different families were encouraged not to mingle or take part in group photos, hugs and high-fives that are so common at graduation ceremonies. And those students and family members who were unable to come due to health concerns or chose not to come out of concern for contributing to community spread of the disease had an opportunity to watch the ceremony on the school district’s YouTube channel.
Hoover school officials took a lot of grief over their decision to hold in-person graduation ceremonies as the COVID-19 outbreak continues, but many students and their families expressed gratefulness for the opportunity to mark the occasion as they did.
“This ceremony is the closure that we deserve,” Jacob said.
The senior, who was one of four graduates who gave a speech, said through these past couple of months of social distancing and staying at home, she realized the importance of cherishing every moment with friends and family and taking nothing for granted.
Teenagers lead extremely busy lives, but this quarantine period gave them time to hit pause on their hectic lives and reflect more on the amazing experiences they had in their years at Spain Park, Jacob said.
UNORTHODOX STORY
Senior Class President Kam Beckham thanked Spain Park Principal Larry Giangrosso for fighting for the senior class over the past few months and “squeezing everything he could out of what he had.
“We are all entering the real world now, and we’ve seen how harsh it can be,” Beckham said.
However, he thinks it’s special that the Class of 2020 will be among the few people with such an unorthodox story about their senior year.
“Through these unchartered waters, one thing we have to count on is that the sun will rise tomorrow, and we must continue to move forward,” Beckham said. “We must continue to improve ourselves, improve our community and cherish the time we have with all of our loved ones.”
Beckham left his fellow classmates with three pieces of advice his father gave him when he was 8 years old:
- Be grateful for what and who you have because you never know what tomorrow holds and what can be taken away so fast.
- Always do things the right way, especially the little things that no one sees.
- Take risks, make mistakes and enjoy the time you have.
Beckham said when he was younger, he struggled with the idea that he was supposed to make mistakes, but as he has gotten a little older, he better understands what his father was trying to teach him.
“We all only have one shot in life, and I encourage you all to apply for that dream job, ask out that special boy or girl, pursue your passion and taken the metaphorical road less traveled,” he said. “The biggest risk you can take in life is not taking one at all. While mistakes and humility hurt, they are the essential building blocks that make us who we are.”
EMBRACE CHANCE FOR CHANGE
Marcus Mudano, president of Spain Park’s National Honor Society this year, said while he and his classmates might not have picked this ending for their senior year, the result is the same. “You have graduated Spain Park despite all the obstacles we faced,” he said.
Mudano said it’s crazy to think that just four years ago, he and his classmates were finishing eighth grade and the most important things on his mind then were avoiding cracks in his voice and trying to pick out which pair of neon socks to wear.
“Now we’re making bigger decisions,” he said. “We’re choosing our career paths and our futures.”
Leaving high school is a big change, and people usually are resistant to change, but it can be a good thing, Mudano said.
He encouraged his fellow graduates to take advantage of this time and use it as a fresh start to correct the things in their lives that need fixing and to become the person they want to be.
“Don’t let fears of what others are thinking and the pressures of obtaining achievements shape your future,” Mudano said. “Figure out what your goals are for the rest of your life and eliminate all obstacles between yourself and those goals. What you’ll find is the only obstacle that can truly hold you back is yourself.”
RISING TO THE CHALLENGE
Abby Reed, the senior with the highest GPA in her class, said that while she and her classmates never thought their senior year would end like this, they were able to rise to the challenge.
“While it’s important to remember the obstacles and challenges we are presented with, being students at Spain Park taught us to strive to do our best and to adapt to difficult situations,” Reed said. “Life is full of challenges, but it is what you make of your situations that shapes you into the person you will become. I’m excited to see what’s in store for us.”
Spain Park college and career specialist Tracy Prater said 22 percent of the Spain Park Class of 2020 had a GPA of 4.0 or higher. The 390 or so graduates were offered admission into 141 colleges in 33 states, offered $19.2 million in scholarships and accepted nearly $10 million in scholarships. Sixty-seven percent of them were offered scholarships to the institution of their choice, he said.
The Class of 2020 had three National Merit Scholars, three other National Merit Finalists, another National Merit semifinalist, three National Merit commended students, two National Hispanic Recognition Scholars and one U.S. Presidential Scholar candidate.
The Hoover school system’s other high school, Hoover High, has its graduation ceremony scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday night, also at the Hoover Met. Tickets and masks are required for admission, and each graduate was given four tickets for guests. Hoover High's ceremony also will be livestreamed on YouTube here.
For more photos from the 2020 Spain Park Graduation, see our photo gallery here.