If you’re graduating from Kennett High School during the pandemic, you get to receive your diploma in a way that may be cooler than a traditional graduation ceremony. Graduating seniors and their families in the North Conway, N.H. ski town traveled up a ski lift to receive their diplomas.
Over six hours, the chair lift pulled 160 graduates and their families up the mountain. The chairs are already more than six feet apart, and the school spent weeks orchestrating the event to stagger the arrival of graduates and ensure social distancing.
As students and families rode up the mountain, many of them saw their fellow classmates and teachers in person for the first time in months. Rather than skis, graduates wore gowns and masks. At the top of the mountain, graduates are greeted by their principal, flowers, and a stage to take photos on. A volunteer sanitizes the chair between riders.
The event was so popular, some students and faculty are requesting the school forgo a traditional ceremony next year as well. “Out of all the different types of graduations different high schools are having, I think this is the coolest,” said senior Eva Drummond.
