Juan Diego CHS holds nine commencement exercises

Friday, Jun. 19, 2020

DRAPER — The Juan Diego Catholic High School administration went the extra mile — and then some — to ensure this year’s senior class had the full graduation experience despite the restrictions on social gatherings in place because of the pandemic.

To honor the graduates, nine separate commencement ceremonies were held over the course of two days, June 12-13. Small groups of seniors and their families attended each ceremony.

Those ceremonies were the culmination of a lot of work, Principal Dr. Galey Colosimo told the graduates and their parents. At the request of Bishop Oscar A. Solis, the school’s leadership team had prepared several options for graduation based on the pandemic restrictions. In the end, the school went with a combination of two of them, he said.

Beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday and ending with a final session on Saturday at 2 p.m., the 187 graduates experienced everything their peers did in previous graduation ceremonies — just in smaller numbers of 20 or so for each session.

Valedictorian Courtney Strydom and Salutatorians Alyssa Zweber and Thomas Barbera each shared their remarks with participants in three graduation ceremonies so that all their peers had the opportunity to hear from at least one of them.

In her valedictorian speech, Strydom said  2020 has been a challenging year.

“I think I can safely say that none of you imagined our high school journey would end in the midst of a global pandemic,” she said. “Nobody thought our last real day of school would be in March.”

“It is unfair that we have been faced with so many problems during a time when we should be celebrating a huge milestone,” Strydom continued. “It is important, however, to remember that we are the next generation of leaders. We are the future change-makers, the future doctors and writers, the future scientists and dreamers. We have the ability to change the world for the better and dream of a better future.”

Barbera spoke of the changed world brought about by the pandemic.

“Over the past three months, all of us have been forced to adapt what we now call the ‘new normal,’” he told his fellow graduates. “With this ‘new normal’ comes new rites, rituals and celebrations for our graduating class. All over the world the graduating class of 2020 has created a new legacy, one formed through adaptation and resilience. We have shown the courage to prevail beyond the challenges with which we have been presented, and our class will be remembered as the beginning of a unique generation of students who have persevered beyond this global pandemic.”

In her speech, Zweber looked to the future.

“I know many of us were worried this day might not come, but now we can be so much more grateful that we have the opportunity to be united one last time,” she said. “We have had to learn how to be strong. We know that nothing is guaranteed and we must live in the moment. Juan Diego was our first stop in our journey. Now we must prepare for the journey ahead. I know we all have bright futures and that we will make it beyond the walls of Juan Diego. We’ve seen it all. Nothing can surprise us or knock us off our game. Congratulations, Class of 2020; let’s go change the world.”

After the speeches, the graduates and their families viewed a videotaped tribute set to the song “Yes, I Will” sung by two seniors, C.J. Peragallo and Jackson Butler. 

Colosimo told the graduates that he had been “almost obsessed” with the song since he heard it June 7 and was determined to use it in this year’s graduation ceremonies. The words resonated with him, he said quoting from the song:

“I count on one thing

The same God that never fails

Will not fail me now

You won’t fail me now

In the waiting

The same God who’s never late

Is working all things out

He’s working all things out

Yes I will, lift You high in the lowest valley

Yes I will, bless Your name

Oh, yes I will, sing for joy when my heart is heavy

All my days, oh yes I will.”

“Did this song keep bugging me because its message is what we were supposed to learn from COVID-19?”  Colosimo said. “Or was it for this most disappointing of senior seasons? Perhaps it’s to remind us about what’s really important at Juan Diego Catholic High School and that’s this: when times are tough, stick with God. God will not fail you, he will not fail you. He may be just working things out – and always, praise God and praise his holy name.”

Afterward, the students and their parents seemed appreciative of the school administration’s efforts to ensure they had as close to a traditional graduation as possible.

Karina Reyes’ daughter Lia Loor was one of the graduates.

“I am feeling so proud of her and of all that the school has done to do these celebrations in this pandemic situation we are living now,” Reyes said. “I am thankful to the school for all of this.”

Collectively, the Juan Diego Class of 2020 has been awarded $19 million in scholarships to universities and colleges across the country. They have performed 12,500 hours of service.