Southwest Colorado eSchool held its first in-person graduation ceremony this week.
On Thursday afternoon, nine students from the school’s 10-person senior class donned red graduation robes as friends and family gathered in Rotary Park to celebrate the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.
“We are really proud of each one of our students,” said Meagan Johnson, principal of Southwest Colorado eSchool. “We are unique – many of our students will never have met until today because they’re coming from nine different school districts, but it doesn’t lessen their education at all.”
The eSchool provides free online education to middle and high school students in the nine school districts in Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma and San Juan counties.
About 65 students from a range of grade levels are enrolled, Johnson said, allowing faculty to develop highly personalized educational plans tailored to each student’s academic needs and life goals.
“It’s a great option for students who may not feel like a traditional classroom setting is the right fit for them,” she said, emphasizing the variety of reasons that led the Class of 2025 to choose online school.
Some students wanted to work full time or found public school unsuitable due to anxiety. Others sought the freedom to travel or needed a flexible schedule to focus on athletic pursuits.
In her speech to graduates, Johnson highlighted the idea that schools don’t need to be traditional to be effective.
“Graduates, you’ve proved that you don’t need walls to learn, and that being great at school doesn’t depend on being in the same classroom,” she said.
Eventually, students walked down an aisle between rows of chairs filled with family and friends.
Class valedictorian James Garvey opened his speech by acknowledging the unusual nature of the ceremony.
“This is a little less traditional, as it is my first time seeing most of you, so I don’t know your experiences, stories or troubles,” Garvey said. “However, I do know that we all share the joy of being here and the ability to say that we made it.”
He spoke about the importance of making decisions – even small ones – and how each choice, from what to eat for lunch to choosing online school, can lead to opportunities once thought unimaginable.
The small class size allowed for a more personal ceremony than is typical at larger high schools. Teachers took several minutes to introduce each student before they received their diplomas.
Attendees learned about the graduates’ accomplishments and postgraduation plans, which included traveling overseas, attending flight school, playing college sports, pursuing cosmetology and trade degrees, and enrolling in four-year universities to study science.
“They deserve a graduation, just like every other school,” Johnson said. “These kids are walking away with a highly accredited, local, free diploma at the end of the day, and they’re going to go serve the community in whichever way they best see fit.”
jbowman@durangoherald.com
