St. Regis students make best of 2020’s unusual graduation

Although cliché, the theme of graduating classes across the country this year was to have a “2020 vision.”

It was the same for St. Regis High School.

Keynote speaker music teacher Derek Larson reminded the graduates and the audience of this in his speech. He declared, “2020 the class with perfect vision. Alas, no one could see this one coming, I don’t think. A surprising year, and for some perhaps a disappointing year.”

In unique social distancing style, the graduating class of 2020 marched to their outdoor ceremony to the tune of Fanfare and Processional played by a recorded compilation of virtual band members from St. Regis and Mullan, Idaho.

Not one of the eight graduating St. Regis Tigers saw their senior year ending in this way. Quarantined at home for the last quarter of school, sports seasons canceled, no prom or senior trip.

Teresa Weems is the mother of the class Valedictorian, Ashley Wilson.

“She had mixed feelings,” Weems said. She liked that she could work from home in her bed, she felt like she was more productive and could get more work done with a lot fewer interruptions.”

But she also added, “She was sad that she missed ending the year with her class and participating in all the last year events like senior prank, skip day, cleaning out lockers with friends.”

Under rain threatening skies May 18, the graduates donned black caps and gowns out onto the football field and sat six feet apart on the bleachers. Both their colors and the weather seemed fitting for this year’s celebration an amalgam of joy for the future and sadness over the past few months for these students.

As the audience gazed upon the makeshift stage from designated family unit sections Principal Shaun Ball opened the ceremony and welcomed the graduates and their families.

Salutatorian Ian Farris told the crowd, “The best way for me to describe high school is the days are long, but the weeks fly by.”

As a challenge to his underclassmen and the audience Farris shared, “Don’t waste your time on things that don’t matter. You don’t notice your wasted time until the end. But one wasted minute is one wasted minute, whether it be in quarantine.”

Farris’ future plans are to serve a two-year mission in Uruguay and then attend Brigham Young University to study political science.

Valedictorian Ashley Wilson’s light-hearted address to her class lifted spirits.

“These circumstances are crazy and unique but I think that fits with our class because we are pretty crazy and unique too,” Wilson joked. “I mean how many students can say their parents got to spray them with Lysol before they came to their own graduation?”

“Our year got cut short but our accomplishment is just as significant,” Wilson said.

Wilson achieved a major accomplishment the same day as her high school graduation - she received her Associates of Science from Great Falls College. Unfortunately, her ceremony was canceled.

Wilson is the first St. Regis graduate to complete an Associate’s Degree while earning her high school diploma. In the Fall she will attend Carroll College in Helena to obtain a bachelor’s degree in biology with a focus on pre-med.

Kylee Thompson plans on attending the University of Montana Western to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and ultimately a Masters of School Counseling.

Nicholas Day leaves Aug. 11 to Fort Bennings, Georgia as he joins the Montana National Guard to proudly serve his country.

Zechariah Flandreau will attend Sheridan College in Wyoming for Sports Therapy and to play soccer.

Thomas Sayer is seeking an internship for a trade job in Montana.

Duane Terry hopes to become a fair and honest mechanic to work alongside his dad and on his own vehicles.

Gaberial Wilson will go into the Job Corp to pursue a career in welding.

All together the graduates were awarded with more than $100,000 in scholarships from local and statewide foundations, such as the William E. Sears, St. Regis Community Council, Trail West Bank, and many other donors.

As out-of-state family and friends watched the graduation ceremony via Zoom, the graduates did a modified version of the rose ceremony tradition for parents and special guests. Graduates were able to deliver cards and flowers, but no hugs, to audience members who played a significant role in them getting to this day.

Lastly, each graduate was called by name and walked from the bleachers to retrieve their hard-fought and well-earned diploma from a stack on a covered table. A professional photographer took the graduates photos so that family members could maintain social distancing but still have the special moment captured.

“It was very hard not to hug or shake the hands of students,” Ball said. “The students, teachers, and community members tried to communicate in other ways, but it was not the same,” he said laughing. “Air high fives and hugs can only go so far before it becomes weird.”

“The school did a great job of making graduation a great celebration for students,” Weems said.

After the ceremony the bus barn was converted into a staging area with cards, presents, and graduation loot adorning the gift tables. A special surprise awaited the graduates, individual personalized cakes for each senior made my Emma Hill, a recent alumnus herself.

With health guidelines not permitting shared food and beverages, and Costco was unable to make the cakes in time Hill stepped up to the task.

“50 eggs, 30 cups of butter, and 60 cups of sugar later I finally finished all 8 cakes dedicated to the class of 2020. It was an honor to do that for them,” Hill said.

All of the staff at St. Regis School dedicated themselves to making the graduation ceremony meaningful in light of the trying circumstances they faced.

Ball said one staff member that did an exceptional amount of work was school counselor Tyler Cheesman.

“She put in approximately 200 hours in two weeks,” he said.

The thoughtful coordination showed.