A Colorado high school threw a graduation ceremony for its 66 students like only a ritzy ski town could, and the photos are pretty great
by Taylor Borden- The coronavirus pandemic has necessitated a wave of virtual graduation ceremonies and celebrations — but it has also inspired some creative celebrations.
- A high school in Telluride, Colorado, devised a socially distant graduation ceremony like only a luxurious ski town could.
- Gondolas lifted graduates of Telluride High School and their families up to the top of Telluride Mountain, where they received their degrees from their principal and superintendent.
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May 2020 brought a wave of creative virtual and socially distant high school graduation celebrations, ranging from drive-by parades to virtual ceremonies held within video games like Animal Crossing.
Source: Business Insider
Last week, Telluride High School took it a step further than a car parade through the luxurious Colorado ski town's main drag.
Students and their families paraded in cars — or on bikes — to Telluride's skiing village, where they boarded gondolas to the top of the mountain for a personal graduation ceremony.
All 66 students received a specific time to board a sanitized gondola up to the top of the mountain.
Once there, each masked graduates received their diploma from the school principal, Sara Kimble, and local superintendent Mike Gass as parents looked on.
"I couldn't be more proud of how the students and the community all rose to the occasion and helped make the end of the year memorable," Kimble said.
The graduation site, which was 10,500 feet above sea level, provided the perfect photo opportunity with the Wilson Range in the background.
The town's gondolas, which are typically loaded with tourists and their skis, were not even running due the coronavirus. The special event was coordinated specifically for Telluride High School's graduating class.
While individual ceremonies might not have been exactly what the graduates had anticipated, the true-to-Telluride alternative was surely unforgettable.
Source: Visit Telluride