The CHALKBOARDMcLaurin Destined for Greatness / Susan BryantThe senior class of 2020 at McLaurin High School is special. In this class, there are athletes, scholars, wallflowers, and an array of other personalities that paint a perfectpicture of grace, diversity, and strength. This class WILL persevere. This class WILL overcome. This class WILL take the hand they have been dealt and they WILL go on todo great things. In this class, there are future lawyers, doctors, teachers, welders, and a wide variety of other jobs that will be filled by this amazing class. The 2020 classof McLaurin High School can handle anything that is thrown at them. They have faced an unprecedented ending to their high school days. We are certain that they willbe able to handle whatever life brings and they will do so with amazing grace and strength. We are proud of them, but most of all, we believe in them! This McLaurinHigh School Class of 2020 WILL do great things.Marice GrahamIf nothing else, this year has shownme the principle behind certain things.For instance, to have a normalgraduation ceremony is fine. That iswhat everyone is used to and whateveryone expects. However, not beingable to have one has shown me toappreciate the principle behindgraduation. It’s not so much aboutwalking across the stage, all the cordsand medals, it’s about what you’regraduating to. Whether that is a newplace to live, a new work place, a newstate, or even a new country, you’regraduating to better and bigger things.And frankly whether a ceremony occursor not, the new stages in our life willtake place regardless.Lily KaczkowskiCovid-19 has had a big impact on mysenior year. From graduation to endof year hangouts with friends, it alllooks completely different that whatI had expected. But I’m so thankfulfor the internet and improvisation.I’m still finding a way to make theend of my senior year a great one!Kenning BridgesAs a senior, I assumed there’d becertain things about high school I’d missmost: pep rallies, football games, clubtrips, and annual traditions. However,because of this unexpected situation,I now know that, while I will certainlymiss the bigger events of high school,what I’ll miss most are the small things,everyday things: hallway hugs,lunchroom conversations, seeming coolto underclassmen, a routine, laughingwith friends, club meetings, and evenjust the familiar faces of the people I’vespent the last 12 years with! My highschool story has been a wonderful one,from it’s beginning to it’s quite uniqueending! This wasn’t an ending anyoneexpected, but it’s surely an endingno one will ever forget!Jakub McLeanAs a senior in high school I was reallylooking forward to this year. Until thecoronavirus completely shut downanything school related. I have had tochange the way I learn, and be okaywith losing some major parts in myfinal year of high school. I have lost thechance to finish my varsity baseballseason, go to senior prom, and have atraditional graduation with all of myclassmates. This year was so critical forme due to this being my last year toplay baseball at McLaurin. I played onegame with my team, and then Covid-19completely ruined the rest of my senioryear along with every other senior inthis class. Even after everything hasbeen cancelled, I would not changeone thing. These hard times haveshown me more about the people in mycommunity and how much they trulycare for everyone around them.Brooke MusgroveI started off the school year with manyexpectations. I knew that I was going tohave all of these things that cemented aperson’s senior year. I looked forward topep rallies, a senior walk, prom, awardsday, graduation, and plenty of time tohang out with friends before we all goour separate ways after graduation.However, after spring break things tooka turn for the worst. All of these thingsthat would close my senior year startedgetting cancelled or changed. I will notbe having a senior awards night orprom. My graduation will be vastlydifferent than the years before me.A piece of my senior year feels likean unfinished book. However, all of uswill be part of history books becauseof the bizarre way that we are endingour senior year.Sam AtarjiThis dramatic turn in the school yearhas really been a shock for me. Thehighly anticipated senior eventstowards the final stretch of high schoolseemed to vanish into thin air. Ifanything, this experience has made merealize how much I really do love schooland question if I took high school forgranted. It’s upsetting to not have prom,a traditional graduation ceremony orsenior signing day, but some peoplelost more than a dance, they lost theirown life or a loved one and I’m thankfulto still be here.114 • JUNE 2020
Northwest RankinCongratulations to the Northwest Rankin High School Class of 2020 for all of your achievements! Your hard work and dedication in the classrooms and throughout thecommunity is what makes NWRHS a very special place. We would like to thank you for all your contributions to this school, and wish you nothing but success and goodfortune as you continue your journey on whatever path you choose. As always, GO COUGARS!Hometown RANKIN • 115
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