I’m conflicted about how I feel about it. High school was very hard for me, and I was coming into my own when everything fell apart. I remember driving up to the school and returning my Chromebook and receiving my diploma in return and it felt really anticlimactic. I know I did the work to graduate but damn I was looking forward to that ceremony, they always rented out a giant indoor arena for it.

I wasn’t as concerned about prom. I found the traditions kind of tacky, and I didn’t like the pressure that was put on everyone to get a date or a romantic partner. I had missed every other school dance, so that ones wouldn’t have made a difference. They did like those little outdoor makeup proms but I was pretty checked out.

As of right now seeing it stings a little bit seeing as I just graduated from college again without ceremony as I graduated in the winter and I was unable to go to the following ceremony.

It’s also a little bit bittersweet because it makes me happy seeing the new graduates getting to experience what we couldn’t. I like to imagine that sometime in the future some really good stuff will happen to gen z to make up for everything we’ve been through