My name is Quincy Sander. I was president for Rio Rancho High School’s senior class of 2020.
Quincy Sander
Despite its large size, our class felt like a close group. Everyone knew each other, and we were there for each other through good and bad times.
We were looking forward to the end-of-high-school traditions like prom, senior prank, senior skip day, signing yearbooks and, of course, graduation. Instead, the coronavirus hit, and we all got separated with no notice, no celebration, no goodbyes.
As seniors, we couldn’t say, “See you when school starts up again,” because for us, that won’t ever happen.
I started the RRHS Class of 2020 Facebook page as a way for the seniors to just have a place to communicate. I pictured it like a giant yearbook-signing opportunity where we could all post messages to each other and reminisce about fun memories we shared from our years in school together.
But it turned out to be so much more.
At first, people just posted funny pictures they had on their phones. It was like seeing pictures of familiar friends.
Then we all started adding stuff we were doing while we were quarantined. Then it became more like everyone was in one big group chat and we could see what everyone was doing live.
Next, I reached out to the teachers, coaches and club leaders. I thought it would be nice to have them share videos or pictures of different events and accomplishments from our four years at RRHS.
There were a lot of impressive individual and group recognitions! Some faculty recorded inspirational video messages to us that really meant a lot.
There were posts from large events we all attended, such as Homecoming. But we also got to see lots of great accomplishments like a classmate bowling repeated strikes and friends signing with the colleges of their choice.
These are things we would not otherwise have gotten to share.
Then the parents got involved… My mom became the Facebook page administrator because she wanted to be sure there weren’t any videos with cussing involved (eye roll).
Parents started sharing their pride and joy — us. They posted pictures of decorated doors and yard signs with words of congratulations, senior portraits or announcements of things we had accomplished.
Then the media got wind of us. One classmate created an amazing video that was shown on KOB-4 news.
Another night, they featured several RRHS senior girls, looking like models in their prom gowns, for the prom that never happened.
We are recording traditional speeches, music and celebratory messages to air on the night we would have graduated.
We will have to miss the three-hour reading of names. Things could be worse.
With over 3,000 visitors, the RRHS Class of 2020 Facebook page has become a permanent point of contact, available 24/7 for seniors, parents, coaches, faculty, community and anyone else who wants to reminisce about the kids who were born during 9-11 and graduated during this worldwide pandemic.
Congratulations!
