The 2020 class of WACO Warriors celebrated as they received their diplomas with fireworks on Sunday. This year’s graduation was held on the football field in order to properly social distance family members, seniors, and school staff due to COVID-19. Forty-five Warriors received their diplomas. Unlike other area schools, WACO High School does not designate a valedictorian or a salutatorian. The seniors choose the quote “I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days before you actually left them,” as their class motto, from the popular show “The Office.” Principal Tim Bartels  shares what he learned about the seniors throughout the school year and the COVID-19-related closure of school, “The things we learned from them is to take what they have to say and work together, build relationships. For this senior class, they really helped guide that process because now we have a standard. We have a standard of what students are capable of, how seniors and upper classmen, really any students, should handle this situation. These students are models for what that should look like. They chose not to be defined by this whole situation that’s going on. Instead they relied on who they are, their character, and their integrity.” Bartels says this summer will be spent working out the details of their return to learn plan and the WACO staff taking a much needed break before the start of school in August.

Photo taken by: Laurie Miles Photography