Class of 2020 included 117 graduates

By TAYLOR BURNETTE

CHESAPEAKE — The village of Chesapeake honored graduating seniors from its local district on Sunday.

Graduates lined Third Avenue beginning at village hall and a procession of vehicles drove past to greet and cheer them.

The event followed the high school’s graduation, which took place earlier this month.

117 students graduated from Chesapeake High this year.

Chris Smith, the school’s principal, said that, although the class of 2020 had 117 graduating students, only 96 participated in the school’s special graduation.

Each graduation was for one individual, Smith said, with a gathering of less than 10 people. Each student was able to bring in up to seven family members while they walked across the stage and received their diploma.

This created a little bit more personal of a graduation, Smith said, with each student receiving more individual attention than they would at a normal graduation ceremony.

Although the graduation was not what everybody hoped for, Smith said, the individual graduations turned out well.

“I’ve been doing this for 27 years, I never dreamt that this would happen,” Smith said “It has to be hard for the kids. … I’m sure they’re upset, and I would be too. They didn’t get to experience some of the things that the senior classes, whether it’s the prom, graduation, spring sports seasons, the final band concert, those types of things. It’s taken away from them.”