West Covina Unified Salutes Class of 2020 with Drive-Thru Ceremonies

Cheered on by their families, administrators and Board of Education members, West Covina Unified’s Class of 2020 graduates embarked from vehicles draped in streamers and balloons – and even topped with giant mortarboards – to walk across a stage and receive their diplomas during drive-thru celebrations on Aug. 13.

Due to COVID-19 public health restrictions, the District postponed in-person graduation ceremonies that were originally scheduled for July, adapting them into county-approved, socially distanced drive-thru ceremonies.

Although the celebrations were unconventional, District administrators and staff worked to create a festive atmosphere, capturing the school spirit West Covina Unified students experienced during their high school years.

West Covina High School was transformed with banners and balloons in the school’s signature colors for its ceremony, which lauded 473 graduates across three stages. Graduates and their families, wearing face masks and practicing social distancing, concluded their festivities on the school’s front lawn, where larger-than-life wooden signs depicting “2020” and the WCHS bulldog were stationed for photos.

West Covina High School valedictorian Anthony Pham and salutatorian Eliz Setian led the Class of 2020 with 4.71 GPAs. The high-achieving scholars are both headed to UCLA, where Pham will study political science and Setian will study applied mathematics.

Edgewood High School honored 178 graduates across two stages during its highly energetic ceremony. Graduates took both traditional and humorous photos with Edgewood administrators and Board of Education members as their families cheered and applauded from the safety of their vehicles.

Edgewood’s graduating class was led by valedictorian Brandon Lam and salutatorian Andy Vu. Both high-achieving scholars are biliterate in English and Spanish, received an International Baccalaureate diploma, and received summa cum laude and California Seal of Biliteracy honors. Lam will attend UC Irvine and study psychology; Vu is headed to UC San Diego to study molecular and cell biology.

Clad in red graduation regalia and school-branded face masks, Coronado High School graduates drove along the front of the cheerfully decorated campus, walked across a covered stage and took photos with principal Shavon Roberts and WCUSD Board of Education members, who celebrated students’ achievements from a safe distance. The continuation school celebrated 77 graduates in the Class of 2020.

“West Covina Unified’s Class of 2020 displayed tremendous resilience, remarkable academic achievement and an admirable commitment to pursuing their goals,” West Covina Unified Superintendent Dr. Charles D. Hinman said. “While we could not gather to celebrate our graduates in the traditional manner, West Covina Unified and the Board of Education were committed to ensuring the Class of 2020’s accomplishments received their well-deserved recognition before they embark on their new education and professional pathways.”