The Class of 2020 lost the last few months of their senior years to the pandemic, but not their graduation ceremonies.

But instead of walking up to receive their diplomas, many drove. In addition to decorating their caps, they decorated parents’ cars to take part in ceremonies in school parking lots and at Pocono Raceway.

The graduation ceremonies were the first public events for many people following months of lockdown in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jim Thorpe, Pleasant Valley and Palmerton held graduation at Pocono Raceway, Jim Thorpe on June 4, Palmerton on June 15, and Pleasant Valley on July 24.

Students and their families drove up to the start-finish line of the track, where they received their diplomas.

After it looked like the pandemic would cancel their graduation plans, students were happy to have some kind of ceremony.

“We thought we weren’t going to have one and that was kind of it. But then the parents and our administration pulled one together. It really showed us all that they really cared about us,” said Jim Thorpe graduate Makena Boger.

Lehighton held a parade around the borough. Instead of floats, graduates greeted onlookers from the windows of school buses, decorated to celebrate the day. Students received their diplomas individually prior to the parade.

Weatherly held its ceremony June 5 in the middle school parking lot, with speakers addressing students as they stood by their parents’ cars.

Some graduates were able to receive their diplomas in their school’s stadium, albeit with fewer loved ones in the crowd.

Marian Catholic held its graduation ceremony June 13 in the school’s stadium.

Following a parade around the borough on June 6, Panther Valley graduates got something similar to a normal graduation. On June 19, they held an outdoor ceremony in the football stadium. The limited audience was split into two groups. After half the class received their diplomas, their parents left the stadium so more parents could come in and see their children graduate.

Spirits were high at the ceremony because it was the first time the class had been together in over three months, since the pandemic began.

“We were all joking about it at first, then we came to the realization we weren’t going back. We kept in touch, and we haven’t lost touch with anybody,” said Panther Valley graduate Blake White.

Northern Lehigh held a split outdoor ceremony on June 24, followed by a parade through town that night.

On June 26, Tamaqua held two simultaneous ceremonies, one indoors and one outdoors, in order to comply with the social distancing restrictions.