Becker High School held an in-person, drive-up commencement ceremony last Friday that brought the 2019-20 school year to a welcomed end.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, administrators, teachers, parents and staff wanted to give students the opportunity to receive their diplomas in front of family and friends.

Students and families arrived in vehicles and parked according to their assigned spaces to view the ceremony. All speakers and performances were allowed to partake and the guests watched and listened live or could tune to FM 90.7 to hear and see the presentations.

Chris Lommel of Lommel Photography was set up to document the event in pictures and he snapped stills of the students as they walked the stage to receive their diplomas. Supt. Jeremy Schmidt and Board Chair Mark Swanson had the duties of distributing the diplomas while practicing social distancing.

The ceremony began with Pomp & Circumstance played by the Minnesota Orchestra. The presentation of colors while the Star Spangled Banner played was conducted by the Becker American Legion.

Principal Dave Kreft welcomed the students and familes and introduced the special guests and concluded with recognizing those who have served in the military.

Senior Morgan Kapsner was the first student speaker while Bella Pettit was second. In between the speeches, the high school choir — under the direction of Gretchen Bordson — performed Rain Clouds.

Josh Ihrke gave an impassioned speech to the seniors as the student-selected faculty speaker. Asst. Supt. Minda Anderson gave a shout out to all honor graduates and Supt. Schmidt presented and accepted the graduating class of 2020.

The graduates’ names were read by Michelle Kuseske and Melissa Nicolas as Schmidt and Swanson handed the engraved diploma pouches to the seniors. As the final student returned to their space, tassels were flipped on the mortar boards and hats flung as best as they could.

The event was finalized with the singing of the Becker school song and a community drive through the neighborhoods of Becker.

The 2020 Class Motto was as follows:

“If you want to go places you’ve never gone, you must be willing to do things you’ve never done.”

- L. Osterhaus

This class has definitely done things no one else has ever done.