Midlands high schools hold outdoor graduations amidst pandemic

Dreher was one of the high schools that held a graduation Wednesday

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) —Even with schools being closed since March and subsequent events cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of high school students across the state have walked across the stage and received their diplomas in outdoor ceremonies.

On Wednesday morning, Dreher High School joined the wave of schools celebrating their seniors with a new type of ceremony.

After all the challenges students in schools like Dreher faced this spring, Richland School District One leaders wanted to send them off in style.

“For students who were in school on a Friday and then they were out on a Monday two and a half months ago, if we could bring them together and at least provide this celebration for them, we felt it was a good thing to do,” said Dr. Craig Witherspoon, the Superintendent of Richland School District One.

Memorial Stadium, the home field for Dreher’s football team, was peppered with the standard graduation caps and gowns, but also chairs spaced out across the field, graduates and family members wearing face masks while adhering to social distancing guidelines, and students giving elbow-bumps to district and school administrators as opposed to the traditional handshake. 

On March 15, Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) ordered schools across the state close as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The initial order closed schools through May 31, but on April 22, Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman announced school buildings would be closed through the end of the school year.

While adjusting to the new realities of distance-learning, Dreher High School seniors saw events like their Senior Prom and Senior Picnic cancelled due to the pandemic.

Some seniors say the end to their final semester was challenging, but the celebration made it all worth it.

“It was hard to get so many things taken away our senior year, but I think in the end, it turned out good because this is the first outdoor graduation for Dreher High School, so I think it’s really cool to experience it,” said Kayla Taylor, a graduate of Dreher High School.

Some, like Dreher Principal Kevin Hasinger, praised the group of seniors for their resiliency in the face of a pandemic.

“When we encounter challenges, they really did not give up and really did not even complain. They just modified and adjusted based on what we had to do,” Hasinger said.

Even with the chance to have one more celebration with their classmates, some students say these last months have prepared them well for what they can face beyond the walls at Dreher.

“It taught me to be more of an independent person when it comes to doing my work. At the end of the day, I did what I had to do to graduate. I worked hard, and the virus didn’t slow me down at all,” said Maggie Marsh, a graduate of Dreher High School.

Blythewood, Chapin, AC Flora, River Bluff, and Newberry High Schools also held graduation ceremonies on Wednesday.

Local schools scheduled to hold graduation ceremonies on Thursday include: C.A. Johnson High School, Columbia High school, Westwood High School, Dutch Fork High School, Gilbert High School, Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School, North High School, and Bethune-Bowman High School.