The COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns have been especially hard on seniors who were expecting to celebrate major milestones this season, including graduation. But a South Eugene High schooler is making do with the changes.
18-year-old Nate Tavakolian is graduating from South Eugene High School. But due to the pandemic closing school buildings in March, there were many events that Tavakolian missed out on.
“Senior spring is an exciting time,” said Tavakolian. “I compete on the cross country and track team, and this would have been my final track season. And I also play in an orchestra. So I would have had a couple more concerts and stuff like that to kind of conclude my high school career that I didn't really get to have.”
He also missed out on other rites of passage such as prom and graduation. Although the school held a virtual prom, he did not participate.
“I don't really know a ton of people who did,” said Tavakolian. “I think some people just got dressed up for fun, but I didn't do anything like that.”
“It's a little bit of mixed emotions,” said Tavakolian. “It’s disappointing to miss out on all of it. But at the same time, I kind of am able to recognize that it's not just about kind of celebrating it at the end. It's all kind of been about the experience as a whole. And I feel like everything I've done, I've had a really good time with.”
The track athlete started running cross country when he was in fifth grade. And from eighth grade through high school, Tavakolian said he has been committed to running. As he prepares for his first semester at Princeton University, Tavakolian also plans to compete on the school’s track and cross country teams, as well as continue playing the violin.
Due to the pandemic, Tavakolian’s graduation plans have also shifted. His grandparents will not be able to visit for his graduation ceremony, and he will not be able to have an in-person ceremony for his French immersion program—a 20-person class he has participated in for roughly 14 years.
“We were going to have a French immersion graduation celebration that I've heard a lot about from some of my older peers that have graduated in past years,” said Tavakolian. “I think it's just cool because we've been together in a class for like 13 years now—since kindergarten really. And I think it would have been a really nice and intimate celebration.”
As Tavakolian prepares for college this fall, he said he plans to pursue something in the STEM field, and has recently been interested in physics.
This story is part of a series of audio postcards documenting the missed milestones of graduating high school and college seniors.
