Emily Hsueh
SHAWVILLE June 25-26, 2021
Two years worth of Pontiac High School grads donned their finest attire last weekend to celebrate the next chapter of their lives.
On Friday, June 25, the graduating class of 2021 and their families flocked to the Shawville Fairgrounds for their graduation dinner. The hall was filled with decorated tables, a photo station, catering and an elaborate white centerpiece streaming from the ceiling.
Sara Richardson was one of the parents who took the event preparation into their own hands. She has children in both graduating classes and wanted to make sure they got the celebrations they deserved.
“After receiving the news from the principal Debra Stephens that the school board was not allowing us to do any type of ceremony or graduation ceremony of any kind until a certain date, some parents of the graduates decided to get together to work and put something on. The Pontiac Agricultural Society decided to let them use the hall, the grounds and whatever they needed.”
Richardson added that they followed the guidelines set out by Quebec Public Health, and along with decorative succulents and gift bags at the hall entrance, there were also bottles of sanitizer and boxes of masks available to grab.
“We weren’t expecting to have something so formal, but it’s nice,” said 2021 grads Caley Lemay and Gabby Beaudoin. They weren’t sure whether they’d be able to have a celebration, but said they weren’t worried. “Either way Mrs. Stephens is pretty good and we knew she’d whip something together to give us [a celebration].”
The following day, the hall was once again filled with families in formal attire to celebrate the graduation class of 2020, who were not able to have the traditional dinner due to the pandemic.
Braving the pouring rain, the grads were finally able to come together, some for the first time in a year, to get their diplomas. After their dinner at the Fairgrounds, they moved over to their alma mater to walk the covered stage and receive their awards and certificates.
“They got the parade last year, so this year they’ll be able to get their dinner,” Richardson said. “It’s nice that the community can get together like this. Good on the teachers for still coming out and supporting their students and it’s nice to see a lot of the graduating class here tonight.”
