High school seniors and their schools end shocking year with a flourish By ELAINE HESSER Catalina all enforced social distancing. Staff and faculty waits with diplomas in disinfected holders. Each graduate wore masks as they cheered for students in events that gets out, walks across a stage, receives a diploma and re- HIGH SCHOOL seniors are incurable optimists. were recorded and posted online. turn to the vehicle. A celebratory lap around the world-fa- They look forward to bright futures — jobs, internships Carmel High’s seniors got on the fast track to the future mous raceway ends the event. and college — and to stepping out into the adult world on Wednesday evening. Laguna Seca raceway volunteered the While that sounds nice, there were some longstanding their own. Parents cry, laugh and celebrate. It’s a time filled use of its track to all the schools in Monterey Peninsula senior traditions at Carmel High that couldn’t be saved this with promises, pomp and rites of passage. Unified School District, right about the time CHS princi- year. One was an off-the-grid trip to Joshua Tree Nation- This year, the coronavirus epidemic threatened to ob- pal Jonathan Lyons said he was looking for “a big place al Park — no cell phones, no cabins, no showers — just scure, if not obliterate, mile markers like proms, arts show- where nobody could touch each other.” sleeping under the stars for a week and bonding with class- cases and of course, graduation ceremonies. But creative mates. high school administrators and teachers rose to the occa- Joshua Tree and prom Pascale Montgomery, one of the school’s 12 valedic- sion, and, aided by the internet and local benefactors, have So how does a graduation ceremony at a racetrack torians, said, “The trip is supposed to be one of the final managed to make things memorable for their students. work? First, take 200 students and put them in cars with opportunities upperclassmen get to really connect with When outdoor and in-person events were held, Carm- their families in a staging area next to the track. Then, have el High, Pacific Grove High, Stevenson, York and Santa them drive, one car at a time, to a stage where the principal See FLOURISH page 13 GRAD A lot of things weren’t “business as usual” for the Class of 2020. Sierra Brinton (left) of Carmel High’s Class of 2020 got all dressed up in her prom gown for pictures, even though the dance was canceled. Stevenson School’s seniors took a creative approach to getting a group photo by placing signs for each grad around the outdoor amphitheater (center). At York School, graduating students decked out their cars for a drive-through ceremony on campus (right). CONGRATULATIONS To the Class of 2020, we wish you success wherever your journeys may take you. Stevenson will always be one of your homes in the world, and we can't wait to welcome you back. Go Pirates! WWW.STEVENSONSCHOOL.ORG 2 GRAD The Carmel Pine Cone June 5, 2020 CLASS OF 2020 Despite shutdown, athletes keep training regimens and hopes for college alive By DENNIS TAYLOR ed at their school of choice. Four recent graduates from Santa Cata- HIGH SCHOOL yearbooks will have lina, six from Stevenson, and eight from a few important pages missing for the Carmel plan to play college sports as re- Class of 2020, which was deprived of its cruited athletes — some with scholarships senior prom, its senior trip, its spring sport — during the upcoming school year, as- season, the last several weeks of on-cam- suming conditions are deemed safe from pus classes, and its traditional graduation the worldwide pandemic caused by the ceremony by a contagious virus that intro- coronavirus. duced a new phrase — “shelter in place” — to the vernacular. The lost spring Now it’s largely a waiting game for col- Athletes who competed in baseball, lege-bound student-athletes who, without softball, swimming and diving, track and exception, remain uncertain that class- field, lacrosse, and boys golf, tennis and rooms and dorms will be open in the fall. volleyball had their high school seasons They’re also wondering if they’ll get to play the sport for which they were recruit- See ATHLETES page 16 GRAD Congratulations KAYLA MARIE Brownlie Valdez! We LOVE you! Good luck in college! Love, Mom, Dad, Emily, (Clockwise from top left) The virus shut down beach volleyball this spring, leaving Menlo Col- Ashlynn, Victoria and lege-bound Dylan Cohan of Carmel High looking for ways to stay fit and sane, while classmate Grandparents John & Clara Hardesty Michael Meheen, bound for Redlands University, built a pole vault pit in his backyard while sheltering in place. Abby Gunter of Santa Catalina recently had ACL surgery, so she’s been using yoga to stay in shape while she gets ready for Iowa State. And Stevenson’s Luke Driscoll, the third-leading scorer CARMEL HIGH CLASS OF 2020 in the PCAL this season, is headed to Baldwin-Wallace University in Ohio. ONE OF THE 2020 VALEDICTORIANS Helen & Lance Robert Louis Stevenson School, Class of 2020 NATURALIST. MUSICIAN. SCHOLAR. Congratulations from your Family! May the Lord bless you and keep you Congratulations Jack! at Wellesley College and Emory University! Your talent, wit and passion will fuel your success “Down the middle of the great street of the city, on each side at UC Davis in Environmental Toxicology. of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of We believe in you! fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” (Revelation 22:2) CARMEL HIGH CLASS OF 2020 June 5, 2020 The Carmel Pine Cone 3 GRAD CLASS OF 2020 Valedictorians have things on Congratutations their minds after topsy-turvy year By ELAINE HESSER Sweet Karoline! to take a minimum number of advanced placement or honors classes and not have THE CLASS of 2020’s top students any grade lower than an A throughout are ready to face a world that’s become high school. Tyler Armstrong, Sierra Brin- much more uncertain in recent months. ton, Joaquin Carlson, Annabel Chen, Jack All of them will be going to top col- Connolly, Gracie Dean, Ella Fenstermak- leges, of course, though they have no idea er, Dante Garderet, Zoe Garderet, Pascal You’re a what their fall semesters will look like — Montgomery, Dilan Patel and Lucia Zacek and that uncertainty comes after a senior all made it. superstar in year that was disrupted in ways they could Their experiences are varied, but with never have imagined. Yet they somehow re- common threads — changed plans and every way! main models of resilience, good cheer and some disappointments. For example, Zacek even optimism. hoped to spend this summer working and We can’t Carmel High School has no fewer than saving up money for college, but now, she 12 valedictorians this year. To get there, wait to these highly accomplished students had See SCHOLARS page 14 GRAD watch you shine as you enter the next exciting chapter in life. Love, Your family Valedictorians Jordan Goodwin (above, York), Tyler Armstrong (top right, CHS) and Lucia Zacek (CHS) say they’ve managed to stay optimistic de- CARMEL HIGH CLASS OF 2020 spite the numerous setbacks of their senior years. 4 GRAD The Carmel Pine Cone June 5, 2020 CLASS OF 2020 CCongratulations!ongratulations! Congratulations YYourour ppassionassion fforor ddanceance iiss yyourour Brynn! ggiftift ttoo tthehe wworldorld We Love You! Mom, Bobby, and Evan Hailey Kadosh Class of 2020 Thank you for sharing your powerful talent CARMEL HIGH CLASS OF 2020 202 0 at CAPA! CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2020 GRADUATES Talia Agacanyan Maxim Del Toro Gianna Herrera Zoe McGowan Asher Rose Eduardo Aguilar Ramos Isabelle DeVor Lindsey Hill Jason McNally Karoline Ruiz Lauren Aiello Serenai Dincer Camille Hitchcock Mira Meckel Grace Ryan Kristen Anderson Yvonne DiGirolamo Drew Holland Michael Meheen Samuel Saulnier Sienna Anderson Alyssa DiStante Kierstin Hollrah Frederick Mehrtens William Saulnier Faye Andrus Kianna Dorantes Joseph Holt Maxton Michie Cole Sawyer Tyler Armstrong* Elijah Douwes Cole Hoyer Nathan Miglaw Sevren Scarlett Benjamin Barnes Harrison Dozier Avery Hubbard Natalia Miller Madeleine Schmidt Duke Bartholomew Christian Durand Quy Huynh Munir Mohamed Shannon Schroeder Sebastian Biggs Teresa Echevarria Jaclyn Hyles Munira Mohammed Karen Serkutan Nathan Blakely Henry Esparza Kendra Hyles Pascale Montgomery* Katy Serrano Aguilar Morgan Bonfante Svenn Eyjolfsson Gerson Infante Franco Jaqueline Morales Satchel Sherman Gabrielle Borges Cassidy Fasulo Vinni Jacobs Dakota Mornhinweg Omar Silva Tristan Bowen Alexander Faxon Jack Jarvis Eric Moseley Catherine Singler Leah Boylan Jordi Faxon Chase Jones Sarah Movahedi Isabella Sosic Zachary Brady Ella Fenstermaker* Naomi Jun Sakina Munsinger Nicholas Staehle Bryanna Brannon Bryce Fenwick Hana Kamler Chelsea Olvera Brian Sturges Sierra Brinton* Ethan Fletcher Jake Kasper Brenna Ozel Josiah Sullivan Campbell Brown Victoria Fletes Zachary Keaton Grace Parker Madison Szestowicki Cole Brushert Michelle Foley MackenzieKeller Dilan Patel* Desmond Tan Jacob Buzza Athena Fosler-Brazil Ryan Knight Robert Paul Mercedes Thompson Juliana Cardinale Ellah Foster Mia Kotelec Parker Peavey Rowan Trosky Mia Cardinale Celine Franklin Nina Krayniy Erika Pellett Sherille Tupino Steven Cardinalli Ninamarie Franklin Julia Kurz Kayla Pereira Denali Uyeda-Cordingley Adeline Carley Eliza Frey Felicia Lademan Jonathan Perez Christopher Valdez Joaquin Carlson* William Gafill Libby Lambert Sima Pesic Emma Valdez Maxwell Carr Jenna Garcia Jeremiah Lamph Mia Poletti Kayla Valdez Karina Casas