Photos by Edric Brandon
Written by Antonio Sweeney
Madison Academy High School (MAHS) Home of the Eagles celebrated 32 graduating seniors this month at the US- 23 Drive-in Theatre. Like many schools across the nation, local districts have come up with creative ways to honor students who are graduating.
Christel Drew, who serves as the principal of MAHS, said the school wanted to honor the graduates in a unique way.
“During the pandemic, we had to utilize creative strategies to celebrate the seniors,” Drew said. “We decided upon a socially distanced venue that would catapult and memorialize their achievements.”
MAHS displayed graduates on the big screen with a pre-recorded graduation! Staff and families laughed, cried and did it all over again from their vehicles as the film played.
Drew wants nothing but the best for her students.
“I see myself in them,” she said. “I also see them for who and whose they are. They are brilliant and deserve to be uplifted.”
Saniyah Mason, who is the salutatorian of her graduating class, has bittersweet feelings about graduating this year.
“Graduating high school is like the first big accomplishment in life,” Mason said. “So, it was disappointing not to walk across the stage like previous graduates. But, this pandemic made the class of 2020 special, and we’ll never be forgotten.”
Mason plans to further her education by attending Central State University and studying psychology. Her message to the world is, “Keep washing your hands!”
Perseverance seems to be the theme during this pandemic. Drew has hopes to see her students in the fall.
“I plan to move forward with safety in mind first for students and staff and will continue to persevere through any situation with winning results,” she said.
