“A real ceremony”: Class of 2024 prepares to graduate from college after COVID disruptions

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Several universities will hold their graduation ceremonies this weekend.

Providence College will confer 932 undergraduate diplomas on Sunday, and for many of those students, it will be the first opportunity to walk across the stage after the pandemic shut everything down during their high school graduation.

“I feel ready,” said Chloe Katz, who studied elementary and special education.

The Class of 2024 is feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement as they prepare to graduate, especially since their last graduation was anything but normal.

“They like to put the diploma on the table and we go and get it, but no handshake,” said Nicole Phaneuf, who also studied elementary and special education. “It was just us. You couldn’t even take off your mask.

“I graduated in my mom’s car,” added Hailey Downey, who studied health policy and management. “I got up through the sunroof and drove around my hometown. There were people clapping and cheering, but I couldn’t be with my classmates. There was only my family in the car, so I didn’t get to say goodbye. I felt like I was stuck in high school for a while.

The pandemic also impacted their first years of college.

“It was just us in our rooms,” Downey said.

However, future graduates say that distance makes the heart grow fonder. So when things started to return to normal, many students took advantage.

“We had an open door policy in my room, which I don’t think we would have done if we had a normal freshman year,” Katz said.

Katz encourages prospective freshmen to sign up for everything.

“You never know what you like until you try it for the first time. This also applies to life,” she explained.

As these students prepare to take the next step in their lives, they are careful not to take it for granted. They can’t wait to walk across the stage, shake hands and finally receive a diploma.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how it looks a little different and having a real ceremony,” Downey said.