Horizon class speaker Azia Cooper-Hoveland contends with the wind as staff gather up banners that were being blown over. At left is graduate Erick Hoeffner.
Commencement, with families parked in cars, started in sunshine. Rain began to fall as teacher emeritus Oscar Stenberg III gave closing prayer.Family of Horizon grad Adoree Schlegel gets ready for the event. Adoree's grandmother, Jennie Chapman of White Salmon and younger sister, Kiana, are seated while Adoree's cousin, Jessica Caban of Edmonds, is at left. Jennie and Kiana hold Caban's twin infants, Christian and Callum.
Horizon grad Tony Allen reacts after his tassel came off in his hand, at the tassel-turning moment following presentation of diplomas. To avoid contact, graduates picked up diplomas off a table, along with a towel emblazoned with the school name, a symbol of students' call to do service as Christ did.
At HRVHS, Sidney Becker accepts her diploma from counselor Jennifer Schlosser, after descending the stage, while cars line up for fellow graduates to take their turns.
Jezebel Jaramilla, HRVHS Class of 2020, smiles after receiving her diploma from School Board Chair Chrissy Reitz, left. Congratulations, but no handshakes or hugs, also came from board member Julia Garcia-Ramirez and principal Rich Polkinghorn.
Horizon class speaker Azia Cooper-Hoveland contends with the wind as staff gather up banners that were being blown over. At left is graduate Erick Hoeffner.
Photo by Kirby Neumann-Rea
Gunnar McCaw celebrates receiving his diploma, flanked by board member Don Hoffman at left, and superintendent Ken Block.
Photo by Kirby Neumann-Rea
Commencement, with families parked in cars, started in sunshine. Rain began to fall as teacher emeritus Oscar Stenberg III gave closing prayer.Family of Horizon grad Adoree Schlegel gets ready for the event. Adoree's grandmother, Jennie Chapman of White Salmon and younger sister, Kiana, are seated while Adoree's cousin, Jessica Caban of Edmonds, is at left. Jennie and Kiana hold Caban's twin infants, Christian and Callum.
Photo by Kirby Neumann-Rea
Horizon grad Tony Allen reacts after his tassel came off in his hand, at the tassel-turning moment following presentation of diplomas. To avoid contact, graduates picked up diplomas off a table, along with a towel emblazoned with the school name, a symbol of students' call to do service as Christ did.
Photo by Kirby Neumann-Rea
At HRVHS, Sidney Becker accepts her diploma from counselor Jennifer Schlosser, after descending the stage, while cars line up for fellow graduates to take their turns.
Photo by Kirby Neumann-Rea
Jezebel Jaramilla, HRVHS Class of 2020, smiles after receiving her diploma from School Board Chair Chrissy Reitz, left. Congratulations, but no handshakes or hugs, also came from board member Julia Garcia-Ramirez and principal Rich Polkinghorn.
Photo by Kirby Neumann-Rea
Processions formed at elementary schools, where crowds of families and supporters greet grads, including Westside Elementary.
Photo by Kirby Neumann-Rea
Jorge Chavez-Lopez passes one of many encouraging signs and banners made by staff.
Well-decorated cars and wind-whipped speeches helped create memorable commencement events last weekend at Hood River Valley High School and Horizon Christian School.
Both events were held outdoors and in keeping with social distancing requirements. Students lined up in cars at HRVHS, and families watching from vehicles at Horizon.
At both schools, students went on stages to pick up diplomas and accept the verbal-only congratulations of school officials. The 300 HRVHS grads lined up at their elementary schools and then processed in vehicles to the school, filing past cheering staff members before getting out of cars to accept graduates’ customary flowers and diplomas — just one at a time using social distancing. The process took about three hours, with wind nearly blowing diplomas out of graduates' hands by late in the day. A few wore masks.
At Horizon, 11 students received their diplomas after sitting eight feet apart in the east parking lot of the building. Speakers Hannah Kempf and Hannah Lingel, both from the Class of 2015, addressed success and failure, citing how they had learned to look within after struggling with expectations and how their accomplishments sometimes met typical definitions of failure and success. “I am forever grateful God’s plans are so much better than mine,” Kempf said. “God’s plans for us are good but they are not always easy or even that He will make you successful from the world’s standpoint. He does not promise you wealth, status or material possessions,” Kempf said.
“Look at success as God does: God looks at the heart. How well have we loved? How well have we served? Have we pointed those around us to Christ in everything we do?”
Lingel said, “I want to charge you guys, and encourage you guys to stand up against injustices and fight for justice. Fight for the oppressed. That’s what Jesus did and I encourage you do to it was well. Jesus was a table-flipper. He was passionate and he knew what was right and wrong, and when he saw wrong he stood up against it. I encourage you to be a table-flipper like Jesus was.”
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