Shelburne Foodland hosts graduation celebration for Grade 12 employees

Written By PAULA BROWN

For most graduating students the final months of their high school experience are marked with prom plans, graduation ceremonies and prep for what comes after secondary school, but for 2020 graduates those months have been spent behind screens, and with cancelled celebrations. 

“It's obviously been an experience, because you picture this whole graduation thing at the end of high school,” says Shane Brice, a grade 12 student from Centre Dufferin District High School. “You go the whole four years and then nothing.”

Celebrating their graduating student employees, Shelburne Foodland held a small celebration on Thursday (June 11) to mark the milestone for grads Brooklynn Peters, Samantha Mallette, Aiden Hunt, Josh Teeter, and Shane Brice. 

“The staff found out that they were graduating and with everything that is going on it's a shame for a lot of them, they don't get to wear their dress or tux or anything,” says Amanda Walker, front end manager at the local grocery store. 

The staff and students took the moment to celebrate with cake, cards, and photos. It was a moment that Peters described as “surprising”.

“It's nice to just be able to do this and it's nice to have a community around you that will still do things to make it feel special,” says Peters. 

The celebration also gave the opportunity for grads Peters and Mallette to wear their prom dresses, both who say they bought them the week before the schools closed. 

“I'd always been waiting for my turn and to be this close, getting excited, buying the dress, then a week later finding out that I wasn't going to get to do it was very disheartening,” says Mallette.  

Posing with the students for a few photos in front of the store Walker says, “I'm really happy for them and proud of them.”