The year 2020 was long envisioned by us graduates as the bittersweet end to an arduous journey, spanning years of perseverance, and the start of a newer more exciting trek into a world of growth and renewed opportunities.
However, that vision began to falter with fear and uncertainty abounding from every direction, and a future too hazy to look forward to. Nevertheless, there is one thing in particular that my time in high school has taught me best – to never lower the bar for what I can achieve despite any circumstances.
Amidst the rise of the Covid-19 pandemic, schools and companies all across the country and the world have been scrambling to adapt their workflow and communication to virtual alternatives, each with their own approach.
Schools in Bahrain have tirelessly strived to seamlessly transform their academic and administrative platforms overnight to accommodate these unprecedented circumstances. Fortunately, our senior classes continued as normal, and although we missed grouping together in classrooms and meeting in school corridors, our bonds with our teachers grew stronger than ever.
It has undoubtedly been one of the most challenging experiences for our community as a whole, but I can say with pride on behalf of all students in the country that we have managed to tackle these obstacles with utmost dedication and perseverance.
Mirna Ashour
Many seniors, however, feared being robbed of their most anticipated moment – their graduation. But that did not happen. Each school took on the challenge to create their own unique graduation for their students that would highlight their accomplishments.
In fact, Bahrain Bayan School has strived to fundamentally challenge and single-handedly redefine the traditional concept of a graduation as a part of its long-standing devotion to innovation. With the commitment of Dr Shaikha May bint Sulaiman Al Otaibi, the graduation made the least possible compromises while abiding by the set health guidelines for the safety of its attendees. It is one of many efforts our country has made to prove that anything can be done with the right amount of creativity and hard work.
We were still commemorated for our hard work. We were still able to celebrate our achievements together in the presence of our families.
We were still able to beam with pride as we held our high school diplomas at long last for everyone to witness. We, the class of 2020, were still given an opportunity to be recognised alongside all previous classes. We demonstrated that even during a rising pandemic, our time as seniors does not have to be deemed any less special, that we will continue to excel in the face of all adversities.
However, it does not have to stop at just graduations; let this be an opportunity for us to innovate, produce and continue adapting as best as possible to our evolving circumstances. Despite it all, we seniors can say with pride and certainty that our experience has been more memorable than ever. Although our year was cut short, we will continue to thrive and grow to be the future leaders and educators we were nurtured to be.
We have never been more proud to call ourselves the class of 2020.
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