CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

Graduates in the class of 2020 are finding unique ways to celebrate

May 23, 2020, 4:20 PM

The Class of 2020 is graduating in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, isolated at home. Non-essential travel is banned. The job market is frozen, and dismal. And beloved rites of passage are either on an indefinite hold or cancelled entirely.

This week, reporter Aaron Granillo follows how this year’s graduates are getting creative with celebrating here in Washington, despite the circumstances.

Kristine White in Everett, Wash., is a graduating college senior. She reported on the sudden cancellation of her spring semester for her college newspaper, then returned home to her childhood bedroom to finish her classes online. You can read the letter she wrote about her experience here.

Several students at the University of Washington are asking for a partial tuition refund after an unexpected spring quarter online.

A virtual graduation with a hologram of your principal or university president handing out degrees might be coming to a stage near you soon. We check in with the company behind the hologram’s Wizard of Oz curtain, Vx3. And you can watch a demonstration of one their hologram graduations here.

Gee Scott from The Gee and Ursula Show explains the special way they want to help celebrate this year’s graduates: with a star-studded virtual commencement ceremony, and by playing parent messages to their graduating seniors on air.

Gee and Ursula Show Class of 2020 Commencement Show!

Finally, what to do about the worst job market since the Great Depression? KIRO Radio’s Dave Ross calls up certified career coach and Seattle Times columnist Kathryn Saxer to get some advice for anyone looking for that first job out of college.

Dave's Commentary

Dave Ross on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM
  • listen to dave rossTune in to KIRO Newsradio weekdays at 5am for Dave Ross on Seattle's Morning News.

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Graduates in the class of 2020 are finding unique ways to celebrate