By Dale Ernst, DMS Para Professional and Retired School Administrator On Sunday, May 17 the Howard Winneshiek Community School District held their commencement for the graduating class of 2020. Like the rest of the country this year’s commencement has been anything but the usual fare of proud parents, graduation parties, and anxiety about the future. This senior class was literally born in the shadow of September 11, 2001, and these students are now graduating at the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020. What incredible boundaries and challenges these students have to recognize and navigate through to become the best people they are meant to be. I had been thinking how I could be supportive of a group of graduating seniors, I did not know or had connections with.
During the length of my career in higher education I had marched as an administrator, or been invited to speak, at countless commencement ceremonies. I live a block from the high school in Cresco. The commencement and its finale was to be a parade of cars with all of the graduates taking part. It was going right past my house. I decided to get out my academic robes and medals and stand on the corner and wave at the graduates as they went by. I had made a large sign that said HONK if a graduate, parent, or friend. For the sake of truth and transparency, I also had a couple of very “special” hot chocolate as it was a very cold and windy afternoon. Little did I know what was coming at me. I was out in the street at the appointed time. I thought I should practice my wave so I caught the cars going into the high school to see how this would go. Most cars honked and most rolled down their windows and shouted at me -all positive comments. After the graduation in the high school parking lot there was a hundred car parade back past my corner. All of the graduating seniors along with their parents were smiling and honking and waving as they went by. The seniors were excited to be graduates and many parents rolled down their windows and expressed appreciation and thanking me for being there. Afterwards I was thinking about the afternoon and I realized what I thought was a fun and goofy way to fill an afternoon and provide a reason to get out of the house in the middle of the pandemic turned out to be something entirely different for the parents of the graduates. Sometimes it is the everyday things we do that matter for people - in this case parents. After attending so many commencement ceremonies I still think that graduations are more for parents than the students. I did not realize until later in the afternoon how recognizing the senior’s academic achievement mattered greatly to parents. In the middle of the world we live in they seemed to appreciate it more than ever. I had forgotten how as educators either in front of a classroom full of students, or in this case, in front of our community we live in, we lead by example. While it was a cold, windy, and rainy day the sun was shining somewhere for the people that mattered on Sunday.
9 Comments
Lizabeth Fox
5/22/2020 01:16:18 pm
What an uplifting story! Thanks for sharing.
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5/22/2020 01:56:44 pm
It seems like I get choked up rather easily with thoughtful, kind things that I see on the Today Show or other news programs! Dale, thanks for sharing this, and thanks for choking me up, again!
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Mary Winger
5/22/2020 04:08:28 pm
Thanks for adding a heartfelt touch to their commencement experience. And thanks for sharing, Dale!
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Nicolle Korsness
5/22/2020 05:19:25 pm
Thanks Dale! What an awesome thing to do. Iam sure the support you showed ment a lot to all the seniors and their parents.
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Greg Murphy
5/22/2020 06:01:20 pm
Thanks for the blog Dale. Heartwarming. Meaningful. I hope we as educators have inspired our students with not only excellent academic abilities but courage to face the years ahead. I know we all try to do that.
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Zachary Fromm
5/23/2020 06:04:07 pm
You're the man Dale. And it cost you nothing to extend such kindness. Just wonderufl.
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Steve Larson
5/25/2020 05:56:26 am
Dale, you continue to amaze me. What a wonderful thing to do. And thanks for all you do for everyone, even people you may not know.
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Jackie Panos
5/25/2020 09:48:55 pm
Thanks for sharing such an uplifting story, Dale! One of those graduating seniors happened to be my niece, so this hits a little closer to home for me! Since I wasn't able to be present at her actual graduation as we had planned a few months ago, I'm glad people like you were there to honor them (and their parents) as they drove by! Thanks :)
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Stephanie Radloff
5/27/2020 06:23:39 am
What a wonderful thing to do, Dale! I love how so many people are going out of their way to help make things special for the parents and the graduates as it is an important time for all!
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