High school seniors react to the school year being canceled

Celebrations canceled for high school Class of 2020

FOX 26 Reporter Natasha Geigel speaks with high school seniors about how they're making the best of the situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

HOUSTON - With schools across the state officially closed for the remainder of the academic year, many high school seniors are disappointed knowing that the end of year celebrations are canceled.

Senior prom and graduation is a right of passage to adulthood for teenagers, many of them now coming terms that the celebrations aren’t going to happen.

Ryan Gordon of Cypress Springs High School tells Fox 26 “I have people coming from Jamaica, Canada, all across the world just to come to see me finally graduate, class of 2020, and now that can’t happen.“

Ariela Romero of Memorial High School is in the same boat, and adds “Just all the hard work that we have put in through high school, you know graduation is just the culmination of that, and the fact that we won’t be able to you know celebrate leaving high school is just really upsetting to me.“ Students we spoke with said they understand because the Coronavirus pandemic should be taken seriously, but they also feel for their parents during this time.

Cade Thompson of Cypress Springs High School said he feels bad for his mother “My mom had like you know a crawfish boil planned. People were going to be flying in. So honestly she was more disappointed about it than I was, but umm yeah.”

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Some have gotten creative like by decking out their front patio for prom, but if the weather is bad there are other options. Vivian Ezebuiro, also from Cypress Springs High School says “I was just thinking of going on like zoom with my friends, and just like we all get dressed up and we just like play music and dance (laughs).”

Celebrations aside the teens are trying to focus on making the most important decision of their lives. “I had visits to colleges that would, like, help me decide on where I would be spending next year, but that got canceled, and now it’s harder for me to make a decision that could affect, you know, the rest of my life,” said Thompson.

The good news is that all the teens we spoke with said although its challenging, they are still planning to go to college in the fall.