ATLANTA — Georgia high school seniors should be celebrating their last weeks of school, but all the milestones now hang in the balance due to the coronavirus.
Brooklin Gilliam, Mahlon West and Vachon Raye, are all Georgia high school seniors. Instead of traveling for spring break, planning graduation parties, they're isolated from their classmates.
“It’s been very disappointing our prom was supposed to be last week and we missed our prom," West said.
“Graduation is really the main thing," Gilliam explained. "We’re going to be disappointed if we’re not able to walk across the stage."
“It’s kind of hard not seeing people that I’ve known probably since the 7th grade or the 8th grade, and not seeing them weeks at a time it’s kind of difficult," Raye said.
Gilliam, who attends McEachern High, has been accepted to seven state universities but can only share her excitement over the phone.
“It’s very depressing because I’m alone most of the time and all we can do is talk over the phone and contact through social media," she said.
West, class valedictorian at Booker T. Washington High, may not be able to give his commencement speech. The football star has already been accepted to Howard University, but some of his classmates needed this last season to determine where they would do.
“I have a lot of peers who are heartbroken because their seasons were ended early and a lot of kids are losing scholarship offers and recruitment, losing all of that is tough," West said. "And it’s hard for me because I’m not able to see them."
Raye, who also goes to Booker T. Washington, was accepted to Dartmouth last Thursday. He said he wants to tell people to keep their head up during this time.
The others also have words of encouragement.
"Stay strong, stay optimistic, wash your hands, stay home," West said.
“Please stay in the house so it won’t spread," Gilliam said.
Many districts have not officially canceled graduation ceremonies and some are still hoping to fit prom into the schedule if students are able to return in enough time.
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