This isn’t how their senior year was supposed to end.
“Right now, I should be in art right now, being the TA, helping out Miss Baker set up her projects,” said Paul Fieweger.
“I’d probably be in my second period,” said Jack Hinzo.
“My second or fourth period doing some work,” said Summer Chalmers.
All three are seniors in the Class of 2020 at Mar Vista High School in Imperial Beach. All three are sitting at home instead of sitting in class with 400 other seniors.
“I’m going to miss seeing them,” said Hinzo. “I’m not going to see them for the rest of this year most likely. A lot of them are moving out of state.”
“I miss hanging out with my friends and the people I see every day. I guess I took that for granted,” added Chalmers.
Local
“I miss just interacting with people that don’t live with me,” said Paul Fieweger as he draped an arm around his mother.
Paul’s mom, Shawn Fieweger is one of hundreds of parents who are heartbroken her son’s Mar Vista class won’t have a graduation ceremony.
“They worked hard for 3-and-a-half years to enjoy the second semester of their senior year and they’re not getting it,” she said. “It stinks.”
“It makes me sad. You only get one of those for high school and mine’s technically gone now,” said Chalmers.
That’s why Shawn and the Imperial Beach community rallied to collect thousands of dollars to buy one sign for every Mar Vista senior to place in their yard.
“Class of 2020 Interrupted” is next to the school’s emblem featuring Neptune holding his trident. It says #allinthistogether along the bottom.
“And we put one of these masks on the face of the Neptune,” said Steve Berry. “It’s actually super cool.”
The Imperial Beach parents also supported a local business by taking their sign order to Berry’s IB Printing.
“I’m thankful because so many people are without work,” he said. “Imperial Beach is awesome.”
The signs are expected to be ready for students to pick up within the next few weeks. Berry said they’ll pick them up at Deb’s Cookie Jar Café, which is owned by his wife and right next door to IB Printing.
“I think it’s really thoughtful,” said Chalmers. “I’m really grateful that they’re thinking about us.”
