High school seniors are missing major life milestones as they remain at home because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Virdie Montgomery, the principal of Wylie High School in Texas, knew how disappointed his students were about their graduation ceremony, so he decided to do something to lift their spirits. With his wife, he set out on an epic 800-mile journey and brought smiles to countless faces!
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Since his 612 seniors couldn’t go to graduation, he brought the celebration to them – literally! Virdie and his wife spent 79 hours over 12 days visiting each and every one of them at home.
When they arrived, Virdie gave everyone a Snickers bar (the next best thing to a diploma, obviously) and delivered a “dad joke” about how they’ll “snicker” over this experience one day.
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“All I know is that for me, it was something I needed to do,” Virdie wrote on Facebook. “I can’t adequately describe the reward it is to get to do this and see these kids in their natural environment.”
After all, they’ve weathered this storm so well, which makes their principal “so very proud of them.”
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His sweet gesture meant the world to parents and students alike! Many of them posted heartfelt messages on social media, thanking Virdie for making the end of high school so special.
“I’m not always in the best mood because it’s been awhile since I’ve seen anybody,” senior Savannah Skinner said. “So it just brought a smile to my face and it made me really happy.”
The awesome educator isn’t done celebrating the class of 2020! He hopes to give them a formal in-person celebration at some point to make up for their missed ceremony.
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What a great way to honor these students’ accomplishments! Great job, Virdie!
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