WEBUTUCK — At long last, the Webutuck Class of 2020 was able to gather in-person to celebrate its achievements at its graduation ceremony on Tuesday, June 16. Though graduation wasn’t quite what the seniors pictured at the start of their school year, the North East (Webutuck) Central School District administration made certain students  were honored with the heartfelt ceremony they deserved.

Starting around 6 p.m., a procession of vehicles — many decorated with signs, stickers, balloons and flags — carrying graduates, formed a line in the driveway to the Webutuck High School (WHS) building. With district personnel there to direct the procession, families drove to the track field behind WHS. Unloading from their cars and clad in their green and white caps and gowns, graduates reunited with old friends and longtime classmates they haven’t seen in person since the coronavirus pandemic shut down schools across the state in March.

Families watched from along the fence as graduates accepted their diplomas, keeping their distance by standing in hula hoops set 6 feet apart on the track and staying in groups of five. Some students wore face masks as they waited in line while others chose not to. Superintendent of Schools Raymond Castellani sanitized his hands after each hand shake and wore a face mask when students requested it.

WHS Principal Katy McEnroe welcomed each round of graduates and offered her congratulations to them.

“Graduates and families, this is not the graduation we planned, but we’ve made do and we thank you all for all that you’ve done,” Castellani said, “and we hope to spend the next few hours celebrating your accomplishments over the last 12 years.”

Announcing each student’s name with pride, Castellani invited the graduates to accept their diplomas. Leaving the field with applause ringing in their ears, the graduates were embraced by their families and posed for photos before heading back to their cars. As they waited for the parade to head to Four Brothers Drive-In Theatre at the main intersection in Amenia, families snapped photos and everyone celebrated. Driving down the hill in the direction of the drive-in, the graduates were greeted with applause from Webutuck teachers and staff standing along the roadway with signs and by the congratulatory message featured on the marquee at the main entrance to the theater.

Passing through the entrance with their tickets in hand, families received refreshments, graduation programs and directions for where to park on the grassy field. Once their cars were parked, the graduates and their families took a moment to stretch their legs — some heading in search of food and others setting up folding chairs in front of their cars — before a video of the 66th Annual WHS Commencement Ceremony was projected onto the big screen.

Following a performance of the “Star Spangled Banner” by Webutuck graduates Deanna Hanze and Amy Hayes, Castellani appeared on the screen to welcome everyone to the rest of the ceremony.

“This was supposed to be your year,” Castellani said as he named the many traditions and celebrations missing due to the pandemic.

Yet even with all that they missed in their final year, Castellani voiced his confidence in the graduating class’s resilience and ability to overcome any pandemic.

“I am sorry the seniors were robbed of their senior year,” McEnroe said moments later, “but I am most proud of them because they are an amazing group of individuals.”

Between the trials and tribulations of the last 12 years and the current COVID-19 pandemic, McEnroe shared how these experiences have shaped the graduates on their journey to adulthood as well as her amazement at their tenacity, creativity and resilience.

“Go and seize the day, the month, the future,” she said. “You are the Warriors of 2020.”

Though she retired from the district long before their senior year, former Webutuck physical education teacher and the evening’s commencement speaker Rosanne Persico said she has thoroughly enjoyed watching the students grow up.

“You have a historical story to tell at the start and end of the school year,” Persico said, highlighting the students’ early school days in the shadow of Sept. 11 and their graduating in the center of a global pandemic. “This does not define this class. What does is all the memories between those years.”

Though he acknowledged the disappointments of their senior year, salutatorian Dylan Johnson reflected on the memories he’s made in the last 12 years in his speech and how this challenge has allowed him to connect more with his classmates than ever before.

“Through everything, I’ll always be able to look back and laugh,” he said, and he urged his classmates to stay in touch and not lose sight of what’s important.

Reflecting on the initial excitement of starting their senior year and their last day of normalcy before COVID-19 altered their path to graduation, valedictorian Disha Patel said, “We may have missed out on a lot, but that makes it special because it gives us the most memorable senior year ever.”

Following Castellani’s declaration of their eligibility to graduate, the video transitioned to a presentation of the Class of 2020, complete with each graduate’s senior portrait; a quote of their choice; a list of their extracurriculars and favorite memories; and a video tribute to each student by a beloved Webutuck teacher. 

McEnroe’s final presentation was succeeded by a lovely rendition of “The Rose” by the High School Chorus and a video montage of familiar sites around the district, a list of scholarship winners and a touching tribute to teacher Zbigniew “Pete” Soltysiak, who passed away in January.

Proceeding in groups of five, members of the Webutuck Class of 2020 stood in hula hoops set 6 feet apart as they waited to receive their diplomas. Photo by Kaitlin Lyle

Projected onto the main screen at the Four Brothers Drive-In Theatre, graduates and their families observed Dylan Johnson’s salutatorian speech. Photo by Kaitlin Lyle

From left, Emily Simmons and Holly Jasmin celebrated their graduation from Webutuck High School with diplomas in hand. Photo by Kaitlin Lyle

Michael Coburn, center, accepted his high school diploma as well as congratulations from Superintendent of Schools Raymond Castellani and Webutuck High School Principal Katy McEnroe. Photo by Kaitlin Lyle

Projected onto the main screen at the Four Brothers Drive-In Theatre, graduates and their families observed Dylan Johnson’s salutatorian speech. Photo by Kaitlin Lyle