WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — On Friday, President Donald Trump celebrated the nation’s graduating Class of 2020, inviting graduates from various schools and education levels to a special White House ceremony.
“Getting to see other members of the Class of 2020, whether it be college, graduate school, that’s really interesting,” University of Virginia graduate Anna Wasserman said.
As the coronavirus pandemic pushed learning online, these students say it was hard finishing the year without their classmates.
“Even though we could do stuff through Zoom, we still didn’t see each other in person and I believe that was one of the hardest things,” Bishop Gilfoyle High School graduate Jorden McClure said.
With so much of their experience changed, they say the chance to visit the White House and meet the president was a welcome addition.
“Just having the opportunity to recognize the past four years has been very valuable,” Wasserman said.
These graduates say despite their different backgrounds, enduring this pandemic has given them some common ground.
“Adversity is not skipping over anybody, so the fact that we all get to experience this together and be resilient together is something that I think is a milestone for the United States,” University of Texas graduate Reymundo Elvira said.
And they have a message for the rest of the graduates throughout the country.
“If they can do school through online learning, then they can do anything,” McClure said.
