Class of 2021: How the pandemic has impacted this year's high school graduates

This story is part of Amy Bell's Parental Guidance column, which airs on CBC Radio One's The Early Edition.

I still remember all of the excitement my grad year contained. It was a year of celebrations with friends and family, and it felt like we were finally in control of our lives and our futures. But the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the present so much for this year's graduates, they've struggled to find that hope and excitement. 

While last year's graduating class had their year upended and plans dramatically altered at the finish line, this year's Grade 12 students have had their entire year and future plans shaped by the pandemic.

I spoke with Collingwood dad Scott McDonald about his daughter Alya, who is finishing up her final year of high school in Vancouver. When the pandemic changed everything last year, she struggled with the isolation of attending school online.  An above-average student, she suddenly stopped handing in assignments and withdrew from everything, including several of her classes. 

"She didn't care. She was awake all night, sleeping 14 hours a day and I realized 'something's wrong here,' " says McDonald.  

Thankfully, Ayla was able to get the help she needed and, with hard work throughout this year, she was able to make up the classes she needed to move ahead with her post-secondary dreams. She'll be heading to the University of Victoria in the fall.  

Final step that's been in works for years

For many teens, graduation year is the final step in a plan that's been in the works for years. Some have geared their studies to career dreams and, suddenly, lot of options such as the ability to work and save for tuition aren't available.

Janesha Rai is graduating from L.A. Matheson Secondary School in Surrey and is still processing how next year will be a lot different than what she'd been planning.

"Originally the plan was to go straight to flight school, but with the pandemic ... the flying experience isn't there anymore," says Rai. "I decided to go for a degree instead. I still can't process how one day I thought I was going to go there, but now all of a sudden my entire life plan just changed." 

In Vancouver, SIr Charles Tupper grad Simone Chnarakis is sad that the grad experience she's been thinking about since she was a little girl won't take place. She is excited that the pandemic has opened her eyes to new possibilities for her future, but she's in no rush. She's going to take an unplanned year off after graduating to let herself reevaluate and mentally recover from the pandemic.  

'I'm thinking of taking a gap year'

"Initially I was planning to go right to school after high school to study psychology" explains Chnarakis. "I'm thinking of taking a gap year ... wait until enough people are vaccinated. And then also just take the year to give myself a mental break."

But if we know anything about teenagers, it's that they are determined and can roll with the punches! Many students will be heading to post-secondary school in September without missing a beat. 

Jessica Baldwin is a Grade 12 student at Langley's R.E. Mountain Secondary, and she's excited to head to the University of Victoria in the fall for her bachelor of arts degree. And while the transition to university is always a big adjustment, she is worried that this past year — with its limited social interactions and modified academic schedule — has left her unprepared for what's to come. 

So how can we celebrate the graduates and make sure this year is filled with special moments and memories?  The students I spoke with, along with their parents, mentioned how they feel a bit defeated and lost. 

There was a lot of effort last year to still make grad special, even in a modified way. But this year, after a full year of pandemic restrictions, some grads are feeling forgotten.

Properly celebrating class of 2021

Chnarakis's mom, Jackie Pierre, is hoping that parents and school districts can find a way to properly appreciate and celebrate the class of 2021. 

"Last year there were drive-thru grads ... the ideas were endless and quite creative," says Pierre. "I'm feeling like a year into it, here would be a bit more understanding. But it seems like now they don't know what to do, so let's do nothing." 

They may be closer to adulthood, but these grads are still kids. They've given up a lot for the greater good, and they deserve to be recognized and celebrated for continually impressing us with their determination and resilience.

Their futures look great, but right now they need to make memories beyond COVID-19 and what they've lost. And we need to support them and find truly unique ways to make that happen. Because while this pandemic is, hopefully, a once in a lifetime event — so is graduating from high school.