WILMINGTON — Ursuline Academy’s Class of 2020 gathered under a large tent on the lawn of their Wilmington campus on June 28 for the Upper School graduation. It was the final Catholic school to hold its commencement in this most unusual spring and early summer.
The graduates entered the tent as bells rung. Each of the girls wore a matching mask that was given to them, and their families were spread strategically throughout the tent. Senior Whitney Grinnage-Cassidy sang the alma mater accompanied by various Ursuline alumnae singing together over Zoom.
One of the graduates, Lijin Zhang, was unable to attend, having returned to her native China as the coronavirus pandemic unfolded. Zhang was the valedictorian, and she recorded her address before she left, complete with the white cap and gown worn by her classmates. She will come back to the United States to attend Johns Hopkins University.
After the ceremony, the new Ursuline alumnae posed for pictures with each other on Franklin Street with Cool Spring Reservoir in the background until a late afternoon rainfall began.
All photos by Mike Lang.