TakingITGlobal

27 # R I S I N G Y O U T H C O M M U N I T Y I M P A C T V O L . 2 Celebrating Graduation in the Midst of A Global Pandemic T he COVID-19 pandemic upended the lives of everyone around the globe drastically changing our everyday rituals and routines in small and big ways. High school students were no exception. Many Grade 12 students in their final year of high school were robbed of celebrating the joyful milestone that is graduation. Lauren Cogen, a high school senior in Winnipeg, Manitoba, did not want her special day — and that of all seniors around the globe — to go unmarked. That's why, she created a video called the Class of 2020 Valedictorian Speech. She put out a call for high school seniors across Canada and around the world to submit video clips that captured: ▪ Someone they want to thank ▪ Something they learned while in high school ▪ Something they are most proud of accomplishing while in high school ▪ Advice they would give to the class of 2020 She received about 80 submissions from 17 different countries from high school students around the globe. Lauren reflected, "I called this the Valedictorian Speech because 1) many of us will never get one when we graduate high school and 2) valedictorian speeches are supposed to inspire/leave the graduating class with words to hold onto going into the future." The video received over 16,000 views and 530 shares on YouTube and Instagram. In a time of despair, Lauren created a spark of joy and hope for so many. Lauren Cogen I called this the Valedictorian Speech because many of us will never get one when we graduate high school... The Valedictorian Speech video made by Cogie as her project.

• Cover