Dear Class of 2020,

We seem to be quite familiar with grieving. For some of us, we or our loved ones lost our homes during Hurricane Harvey sophomore year. For all of us, we lost a classmate and dear friend as juniors, and now, yet again, we are mourning the loss of what seems like the rest of our time at St. John’s. 

As I write this, it is 10:34 p.m. on March 16. Earlier this evening, our parents were notified that in-person classes will be postponed indefinitely. Knowing the state of global affairs, we quickly took to our all-grade group chat to discuss what this meant for us, the seniors. It means that the spring sports season is shortened, the final band concert may never happen, graduation is at risk, and our final prom together is postponed indefinitely.

The members of our class are not strangers to grief. This time around, we turned to each other immediately. This time around, we are all in the same boat with nothing to control and a whole lot to lose. This time around, we have to stand by each other’s sides and just hope for the best.

I am in no way trying to scare anyone or imply that life as we know it will not go on. It will because it always has. We know this just as well as anyone. The in-between, though, will be hard. We turned to each other in this crazy time of turmoil and uncertainty, and I’m honestly just writing this because I am so proud of us. High school really did a number on our grade, and we came out as stronger individuals and as a stronger graduating class. I am not writing this to further remind you all of all the sadness we have already endured but to remind everyone that we have overcome so much already. The Class of 2020 has made its mark on St. John’s.

We have performed in musicals (some of us releasing music on our own and creating a community out of it), we won HJPC football three years in a row back in Middle School (not to mention the SPC titles we’ve snagged), we’ve run marathons, we’ve been politically active, we’ve danced, we’ve debated, and we’ve all made it this far. Even if our time is cut short, we have done more than enough.

Our grade is more than equipped for this crazy ride and for whatever comes next. We know it, too. That’s why we all came together this evening to mourn the loss of our senior year as we know it. Aren’t we lucky to have something so wonderful that makes saying goodbye so hard?

To our families, and to the underclassmen—I, on behalf of the entire senior class, thank you so much for listening to us cry, whine, mope and commiserate. Thank you for putting up with us; we know it isn’t easy for any of you all either. As my mom pointed out to me, the graduating class did not make it this far all by ourselves. We had teammates, sisters, brothers, moms and dads who have supported us and shaped us into who we are today. Thank you, and I am sorry for the emotional, hormonal turmoil you will inevitably be exposed to while we process all this. 

And one grand thank you goes to the faculty and staff of SJS who have busted their behinds to get us to where we are. Thank you, in this case, is not enough. Thank you for reaching out to us during this wacky time, thank you for guiding us, thank you for sticking up for us when we did not want to do it for ourselves and thank you for offering such a safe and fantastic place to spend our coming-of-age years. 

The Class of 2020 will be, and has always been, just fine. With our ups and downs, we have learned more about each other than is probably healthy and/or normal, but it also means that this bond that we have will last a long time (again, probably longer than is healthy and/or normal). We will always have each other’s backs, and we will always be united by some undefinable bond. We are Mavericks, through and through, and we will hold ourselves to that standard even after we leave SJS, checking in on each other and leaning on our classmates when the going gets tough.

We, the seniors, will forever and always be the Class of 2020. Even if we have to graduate next year. 

Staying positive,

Sarah Jane

Online classes have been extended indefinitely due to Harris County’s stay-at-home orders.