Wauconda High seniors celebrate graduation with a car parade

jlewnard@dailyherald.com

An enthusiastic crowd of friends, family members and village residents lined Main Street in downtown Wauconda as seniors from the Class of 2020 passed in a car parade Tuesday.

With the upcoming graduation ceremony canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the parade gave the seniors a chance to be recognized by members of the close-knit community, most of whom were wearing the school colors of purple and gold. The sound of car horns pierced the cool air on the spring evening, while members of the crowd cheered and waved to the smiling seniors.

Kristin Heinz of Wauconda was among those waiting for the start of the parade outside the high school. Her son Tyler is a fifth-generation Wauconda High School graduate.

She said she had cried several times during the day.

"You're not going to have the pictures with friends and family," Heinz said. "They're not going to be in their caps and gowns, hugging their friends and teachers."

Though she is saddened by the fact that her son's senior year did not conclude as anticipated, she was encouraged by the words of a friend, the parent of a Mundelein High School graduate, who described their school's recent parade as a happy, emotional experience.