A group of students that began their educational journey at Lee Elementary in Rossmoor who remained freinds until they all graduated from college staged an impromptu graduation ceremony arranged by their parents in the parking lot of their first school.
This group of friends celebrated their graduation from college with their kindergarten teacher.
Actually, it was the moms who staged the ceremony, said Elizabeth Ronnau, the mother of one of the graduates
The moms felt like the students, whom were all “safer at home,” were “missing out” on a true graduation walk, she said. So the moms, all friends, went to work.
“The moms have been friends since our kids were in kindergarten at Lee,” said Ronnau, noting that this group of moms had remained friends since their children began their education in Rossmoor.
She said the moms had actually formed a “bunco group,” which began with the popular game, but have since blossomed into a lifelong friendship among this group of women.
When the idea was broached, Ronnau said “our kids probably thought to themselves ‘those crazy moms.’”
Crazy or not, the moms still were still on a mission. They called Kim Jordana, a teacher who had taught them in kindergarten. She agreed to help. One of the parents found their own “pomp and circumstance” music, others worked on logistics, and at 11:00 a.m. Sunday, the ceremony began in the parking lot of Lee Elementary.
With loudspeakers set, the ceremony was someone traditional, said Ronnau, but “without the boring speeches.”
As each graduate’s name was called, their educational accomplishments were read over the loudspeakers by an announcer behind the ‘pomp and circumstance’ music.
The graduates, dressed in their cap and gown, replete with honors tassels, walked a pre-ordained path through the parking lot.
“We all stayed in our cars to watch and the students were all socially distanced,” she said.
Jordana, their kindergarten teacher and who still teaches kindergarten at Lee, was there to congratulate each student and safely present them with a celebratory balloon.
Ironically, said Ronnau, the current Los Al Superintendent Dr. Andrew Pulver, was the principal of Lee when these students began their journey there years ago.
While on Lee’s campus, the students good naturedly played on the swings and did other things to remember their first days of school. She said the entire ceremony lasted “no more than half an hour.”
“Everyone enjoyed it and our kids were able to have their graduation walk,” said Ronnau.
“It was super-sweet,” she added, “and the kids were super-happy.”
“Since their schools did not have a graduation ceremony,” Ronnau said, “we decided to have our own.”
Participating students included:
Ryan Edgar – BA Political Science, Minor in Communications, CSULB
Emma Bandach – BA Business Economics with Minor in Political Science, CSULB
Kailyn Weber – BA Liberal Studies with a Math concentration, CSULB
Hannah Nelson – BA Liberal Studies with a CA Multiple-Subject Credential, CSULB
Heidi Ansorge – BS Neuroscience, USC
Madison Putnam – BS Accounting, CSULB
Madison Salter – BS in Nursing, San Diego State
Madison Jones – BA Liberal Studies, Minor in Spanish, Sonoma State
Matthias Ronnau – BA Statistics, UC Berkeley
