Celebrating Graduation with the Class of 2021

May 27, 2021

Congratulations, Class of 2021! The students joined the ranks of CDH alumni on Wednesday, May 26 at the Cathedral of Saint Paul. 

Student speaker Carmella McGee '21 reflected on the past year and the unique challenges and opportunities it brought:

Our last year of high school proved just how abnormal life can really be. We anticipated a closeness to our community that we had been fostering for years, but we were met with isolation. We were forced to rework the images forecasted in our minds. We learned how to embrace the paradox and socialize while distancing. We learned to raise our voices loud enough so that the right people can hear us, even through masks. We to learn how to live with hope through the unknown. 

High school was not a bust because of how things turned out this year. We used the time we had for good. We did the impractical and grounded ourselves in change. We discovered that with open minds and a little hope, progress can be made. Without the traditional bonds of community, we had to be vulnerable and trust each other.

Faculty speaker Mark McGuire looked forward to his hopes for this class and their impact on the wider world:

Though you may be defined as the class that went through the entire year in a mask, socially distanced, with limited activities I don’t want that to define you. I want what defines you to come out of what you do next. I believe your generation has a greater appreciation for each other and the ideal that all are truly welcome. Through simple, small acts of kindness; being empathetic, not just sympathetic; meeting people where they are at, not where you think they should be; loving honestly and forgiving openly; listening to understand, not to make judgments, we can all move towards this ideal.

The Class of 2021 also celebrated the life of Owen Loftus '21, who would have graduated with this class. 

The graduation was live-streamed and can be viewed online here.

Check out the slideshow below for more photos!