Dunkirk High School’s Class of 2021 turns to thank their family, friends and supporters in the audience at Saturday’s commencement.

Dunkirk High School’s Class of 2021 had academic careers disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but learned to adapt and persevere and came out stronger in the end. That was the overriding message at the school’s commencement ceremony at Karl Hoeppner Field Saturday.

Although the event primarily celebrated the 110 graduates who received diplomas, it was more than that. It also felt a little like a celebration of the whole Dunkirk community coming out of pandemic-related social distancing and lockdowns.

The commencement was made free to attend for all, with no capacity limits, after the state lifted social distancing mandates. There was no lack of spectators on a muggy, breezy, overcast but rain-free morning. The bleachers were completely full and people stood three deep on the walkway between the stands and the field.

Very few people wore masks, and no one seemed to have any problems with those who did.

It was quite a contrast with the 2020 commencement, which featured the students graduating in two separate groups, along with severely limited attendance, because the pandemic was raging at the time.

The students began Saturday’s ceremony by ringing the bell from the 19th century Dunkirk Academy, that sits at the entrance to Karl Hoeppner Field. Each of them gave the venerable old bell three tugs on its ringer before processing to their seats on the field.

The campus Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps presented and posted the colors and Mia Piede, senior class president and valedictorian, led the Pledge of Allegiance. Another graduating senior, Makyala Pasierb, sang a beautiful and respectful rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner.”

Piede used her valedictorian speech to thank her parents, teachers and friends and go over some of the things her class experienced throughout their four years together. When the pandemic hit, “we had new schedules to adjust to…we were no longer together.” However, the students adjusted and honed their time management skills, and “the family we formed in the years at Dunkirk did not allow us to fall in despair.”

She said, “Our senior year was similar to how the rest of our lives will be. We will encounter obstacles, be overwhelmed, have difficulties in finding normalcy or happiness, and struggle.

Life can be tough and so can change. I hope you all take the memories of being here in Dunkirk, with both the hardships and triumphs, and apply them to your own lives. I implore you all to seek challenges, because therein lies the lesson. I hope you all have passions of your own throughout your lives.”

Salutatorian Olivia Corbett also thanked family, teachers and other supporters in the first part of her speech.

Speaking to her class, she said, “We could not have prepared for the events that have taken place over the last year…it was hard, but today is our graduation day, and everyone here lived past those challenges.”