An unforgettable Class of 2020 made its mark

Jeremy Sellew

I’m having trouble trying to figure out if I’m happy or sad to see the 2019-2020 school year has come to an end. What a ride it’s been.
But this year’s class has a special place for all of us here in the sports department.
This group of student-athletes were freshmen when the newspaper was formed and when I took over as the sports editor.
It’s been a pleasure watching and covering this group excel on their various fields of play. We’ve had WPIAL champions, state champions, state runners-up, WPIAL runners-up. We’ve had team champions; we’ve had individual champions.
While not everyone can always be the best, this Class of 2020 is undoubtedly the most resilient. No one ever expected to see spring sports completely wiped out by a pandemic. As much as it affected us here in the sports department, we know it crushed you all that go out and work hard every day to be the best you can at your sport. Whether it was on the baseball field, the softball diamond, the track, the volleyball court, wherever it is you hone your craft, we know it left a gaping hole in your hearts and your life as a whole.
I commend each and every one of you for the grace you’ve shown, despite the tears and pain, especially when it seems like we the media are asking the same questions over and over. The Class of 2020, boy do you have stories to tell!
Your class will go down in the history books as unforgettable. But not because of what has happened in society. Not just because of the pandemic. But how resilient you are. What if I told you in the fall that you’d have to possibly wait until a weekend in late June to have your graduation, or walk with your class? Or enjoy your prom. Would you be patient and go along with it? Probably not.
But you’ve all accepted this challenge with grace. It’s heart warming to see the senior parades and the pictures of the girls in their prom gowns on the days proms should have been held. You’ve all taken this in stride and should be commended for your attitudes.
People have noticed, too. You don’t always see things like Charleroi folks supporting Monessen students, or Belle Vernon students supporting EF or TJ students. But we’ve seen those messages. We’ve seen those Facebook likes and those retweets and likes on Twitter.
Communities as a whole have rallied around their students and their school districts. They’ve been there for each other, through the “Adopt a Senior” pages that have popped up all over Facebook. It doesn’t matter what town, borough or township you’re from in your school district. Everyone came together and supported one another. That’s something we need more than ever.
So for the Class of 2020, I have this advice.
Continue being there for each other.
Continue being friends.
Continue being supportive of your classmates and family.
Continue being supportive and make an effort to understand everyone’s opinions and feelings.
You have the support of all of those Leopards, Greyhounds, Cougars, Commodores, Rams, Warriors, Tigers, Gladiators, Eagles, Jaguars, Bears, Bearcats and Trojans that have come before you. And most of all, you will always have the support from everyone here at TeamMVI.
Thank you all for allowing us into your dugouts, locker rooms and onto your benches for interviews and photos.
This year has shown you are the best of the best. Go out and continue to prove it.

Jeremy Sellew is the sports editor of the Mon Valley Independent.