Starting their high school journey through a computer screen four years ago, Waukegan High School valedictorian Guadalupe Ramirez and salutatorian Jackie Sanchez met as sophomores in their advanced placement American history class.
Overwhelmed by the rigor of the class, Sanchez said they became best friends there and in other classes they shared. They adjusted to a classroom again after a year of remote learning because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We bonded over it because it was a real challenge,” Sanchez said.
“We had two other classes as well as history,” Ramirez added. “We helped each other deal with them.”
Ramirez and Sanchez were among 901 seniors set to graduate Waukegan High School Friday at Weiss Field after Sanchez donned her cap and gown Wednesday with about 80 classmates to return to their elementary schools to the cheers and high-fives of future graduates.
After graduation, Sanchez and Ramirez will still be classmates, as well as roommates, as they become freshmen again, this time at the University of Illinois at Champaign. Ramirez said she plans to study music, while Sanchez intends to major in computer science.
As Waukegan High School prepared to celebrate its 151st commencement, students like Sanchez had the opportunity to participate in Waukegan Community Unit School District 60’s first Return to My Roots event.
Three busloads of students departed Weiss Field after graduation rehearsal to each tour five of the district’s 15 elementary schools, including the one where they spent their younger years. Sanchez was thrilled with the greeting they received.
“It was really exciting seeing them cheering us,” Sanchez said. “I felt like I was looking at myself when I was their age.”
Andy Kramer, the principal at Whittier Elementary School, said Return to My Roots was an excellent way to honor the graduating seniors who once went to Whittier, as well as motivate the younger students. They walked through an array of bubbles.
“For the kids, it was great to see the graduates,” Kramer said. “They are the role models for what our students can be.”
Walking through Glenwood Elementary School where he spent his early educational years, Waukegan senior Jordano Campos-Hernandez became emotional as he walked through the halls with cheerleaders waving pompons. He had hugs for his former teachers.
“There’s the treasure chest,” Campos-Hernandez said, pointing to a piece of furniture he remembered. “There it is. I remember it all. This is where it started for me.”
Glenwood fifth grader Sema’J Mitchell, said it was exciting to see the seniors parade through his school. He will be leaving for Miguel Juarez Middle School in the fall. He saw himself in the parade at a future time.
“It was very exciting,” he said. “That will be me one day.”
Enjoying her visit to Glenwood, Sanchez said she was excited for the next stop on the tour, Greenwood Elementary School, where she was once a student. She was anticipating a reunion with Laura Raykiewicz, now the assistant principal there.
“She was my fourth and fifth grade teacher,” Sanchez said. “I can’t wait to see her. I remember how much she helped me.”
Dan Hill, the Waukegan High School co-principal who oversees the Washington campus where the juniors an seniors attend, was participating in the rehearsal Wednesday. He said the Class of 2024 spent their four high school years like no other because of the pandemic
Hill said the class’ entire freshman year was spent learning remotely through a computer screen. When they started their sophomore year, school was a hybrid, with both remote and in-school learning.
“They were wearing masks,” Hill said. “They could see each other, but they had to keep their distance. They were in a new building as juniors adjusting all over again. All through high school, they dealt with unexpected conditions. They sure learned how to problem-solve.”
District 60 Superintendent Theresa Plascencia said Wednesday as she watched the parade of seniors at Whittier, the Class of 2024 as a group showed unbelievable resilience and resourcefulness.
“They learned how to deal with change,” Plascencia said. “They embraced change and were successful for it.”
