Collected Item: “Providence College Class of 2021 Graduation”
Give your story a title.
Providence College Class of 2021 Graduation
What sort of object is this: text story, photograph, video, audio interview, screenshot, drawing, meme, etc.?
photograph
Tell us a story; share your experience. Describe what the object or story you've uploaded says about the pandemic, and/or why what you've submitted is important to you.
This photograph was taken by one of the photographers at the commencement ceremony for the Providence College Class of 2021 when I was being announced as receiving the honor of highest in academic rank (valedictorian) for my class. Providence had held its graduations at the Dunkin Donuts Center downtown for the past several decades, but COVID-19 restrictions made that impossible for the Class of 2021. Instead, the College opted to have commencement on campus, holding it at Hendricken Field. Each student was only allowed up to two guests. My parents and brother all graduated from Providence College, so it was difficult knowing that the pandemic prevented me from being part of the same traditions that they got to experience as seniors, such as Senior Ring Weekend. My brother had graduated just two years earlier, so I knew what being a senior was "supposed" to be like, but did not get to experience it. However, having graduation on campus was truly a blessing and a unique experience. I was able to get an extra ticket so that my mom, dad, and brother could all be there to see me receive my degree, and my grandmother was able to watch the livestream from her home. After a challenging year full of disappointment and distance, the Class of 2021 was graced with the chance to celebrate our achievements together.
Use one-word hashtags (separated by commas) to describe your story. For example: Where did it originate? How does this object make you feel? How does this object relate to the pandemic?
#lostgraduations, #PC2021, #foreverafriar, #collegegraduate, #valedictorian
Enter a URL associated with this object, if relevant.
https://commencement.providence.edu/class-of-2021/
Who originally created this object? (If you created this object, such as photo, then put "self" here.)
Providence College
Give this story a date.
2021-05-20