This beautiful girl, Haley Bain, is a senior at Captain Shreve High School. I got the pleasure of meeting her and her mother, Holly Bain Free and her sister because my step-daughter “adopted” this senior. I was thrilled to take her senior portraits as part of this incentive to recognize the country’s seniors who have not had the ideal senior year thanks to COVID-19.
Haley and her family were so easy to work with, from planning the date to the props to the location. They brought their own ideas, like the Corona Wall (see later in the blog), a great attitude, four outfits, and GOLD GLITTER ( inside joke).
The picture above is stunning, isn’t it? Look at those blue eyes and that smile that comes from knowing you have done something to be proud of! Four years of high school challenges and triumphs is indeed an accomplishment.
The classes of 2020 are part of Generation Z, the young adults destined to inherit the earth after millennials. Dr. Corey Seemiller, a Gen-Z expert, defined them as having a great desire to change the world and make it a better place.
“They want jobs that are fulfilling, tap into their passions, and situated in organizations that align with their social values,” she said.
They have been trained to analyze, set goals, make plans, and discuss results since they were in the first grade.
The class of 2020 is very unique. They entered Kindergarten not having lived through 9/11, but rather viewing it as a historical event. They have been using technology since they were toddlers. The class of 2020 is graduating in the era of Google Classroom and virtual instruction. They didn’t pass notes, but rather texted each other from the class next door.
Seniors of 2020 have always worked in groups, collaborating in the classroom unlike the generations before, who sat silently in rows. Every big moment of their lives is likely recorded digitally somewhere in cyberspace in the form of a JPEG, video or GIF.
These graduates were only 2 years old when Facebook was introduced, but it is so passe’ for them. Their world is captured in Snapchat and preserved on Instagram. There are those that say this generation can’t attend to things for very long, having grown up with blinking screens and instant gratification. However, in my experience, they are steadfast in their values and have experienced a freedom to be themselves in high school. For example, Haley is a member of the Captain Shreve High School Fishing Team!
But even with all the global experiences they have had, who could have foreseen a global pandemic that could literally shut down the world within a week? Within just a few weeks, the training for the class of 2020 kicked in. Taught to analyze and problem solve, to express their thoughts and think for themselves, these seniors began to adapt. New vocabulary such as “social distancing” “flatten the curve” and “new normal” became a part of their speech. The word “pivot” took on a whole new meaning, encouraging people to completely alter the way they shop, give and receive instruction, worship, date, and seek healthcare.
It is a brave and (still) beautiful new world. The class of 2020 is better prepared than any before them to take it on. And Haley Bain, with her quiet intelligence and easy going manner is no exception.
Leave a Comment