Pinckneyville holds special ceremonies for military grads

Five Pinckneyville graduates who are leaving home for military service were honored with their own high school graduation ceremonies on May 31.

The rescheduled PCHS commencement for the Class of 2020 is tentatively set for 2 p.m. on June 28, but some of the five military grads are leaving for training as early as this week.

There are also military-bound grads in Du Quoin, but none of them are leaving before the DQHS commencement scheduled for late July.

In Pinckneyville, for social distancing purposes only one family was allowed in Thomas Gym at a time. Principal Tony Wilson and Superintendent Keith Hagene directed remarks to each student personally, thanking them for their service to our country, and presenting their diplomas.

The armed forces recruiter also attended, and representatives of the Daffron-Presswood Post 2504 American Legion presented the flags for the services.

The graduates are Lilli Runyon and Cody Sroka, who are joining the U.S. Air Force; and U.S. Army recruits Ethan Bledsoe, Collin Schrader-Dixon and Dakota Alvis.

Prior to entering the gym, students and families listened to prerecorded messages from Class of 2020 President Cameron Naugle and Summa Cum Laude speaker Miranda Skorch.

Each family could take pictures with their graduate after each brief ceremony, and there was a 10-minute break between each ceremony in order for the gym to be appropriately sanitized.

To show solidarity with one another, the students waited for all of the official ceremonies to conclude to take a group picture.