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High Schooler in Eugene Shares Experience Finishing Her Final Semester Online

Elizabeth Gabriel
/
KLCC News

 

The COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns have been especially hard on seniors who were expecting to celebrate major milestones this season, including graduation. Now, a South Eugene High schooler recounts what it was like having half of her last semester online.

18-year-old Joanne Wang said she was not that bummed about missing out on prom since she went last year. For her, not having a traditional graduation ceremony has been one of the disappointing parts of the stay-home orders and school building closures.

“I think graduation is more of [an] accumulation of my high school achievements, or the work I've put into high school,” said Wang. “And it just seems like a milestone I've been looking forward to for a long time. So I'm a little bit disappointed that I don't get to experience that normally like everybody else.”

But despite her disappointment, Wang said she is glad the school is taking the necessary health precautions to keep people safe, as well as hold alternative celebrations.

As of now, the incoming Cornell University freshman plans to major in neuroscience. And Wang said she owes her love of science to her high school teachers.

“Honestly, the teachers at South are what made me interested in science,” said Wang. “I thoroughly enjoyed my science classes the most out of everything I've taken at South for sure.”

As a group leader for her school’s chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS), Wang was looking forward to the end of the year induction ceremony for incoming NHS members. During that time, incoming seniors are nominated as new group leaders, and the group recognizes the student's achievements.

“I [remember] being inducted into NHS,” said Wang. “I watched all the group leaders stand up there and give speeches and it seemed it was something I wanted to do. So I was super excited to become a group leader [and] to have that opportunity. But unfortunately, that didn't happen this year.”

Before the pandemic, Wang’s post-graduation plans also included visiting her family abroad. But those travel plans have since been on hold.

“We were going to visit my family in China this summer before I go off to college,” said Wang. “Because I think once I'm in college, it'll be a lot more difficult—I won't have as much time to visit my family in China.”

As Wang prepares for college and cold weather in the east coast, she plans to take in her last summer in Eugene by spending time with her family and friends.

This story is part of a series of audio postcards documenting the missed milestones of graduating high school and college seniors.

Elizabeth Gabriel is a former KLCC Public Radio Foundation Journalism Fellow. She is an education reporter at WFYI in Indianapolis.
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