The coronavirus pandemic has canceled events across the world, including graduation ceremonies meant to celebrate hardworking students and their academic achievements.
A Chick-fil-A restaurant in San Antonio, Texas, hosted an outdoor ceremony in their parking lot to celebrate their employees, who were high school graduates.
The ceremony was complete with a red carpet, graduation stoles and gift baskets.
"Today was a day we will remember forever! We surprised our seniors with a ceremony to honor their accomplishments! Congratulations to the Class of 2020! You made it! 🎓," the location shared on Facebook, along with photos from the celebration
A video from the ceremony also showed each graduate walking down the red carpet towards the Chick-fil-A mascot dressed in a graduation cap and gown.
"While this may not be how you guys pictured graduation a few years ago, months ago, or even days ago, we wanted to make sure that you guys were celebrated in a way that we could all be here and celebrate you guys for the accomplishment you have made," a store employee said at the start of the ceremony. "We know it took a lot of hard work and determination, so we did not want that to go uncelebrated."
Everyone in attendance wore a face mask and gloves as each graduate walked forward and was presented with the special stole that read "Class of 2020."
Each of the graduates then posed for a photo with the Chick-fil-A mascot after receiving their stole and gift basket.
Many school districts across the country have tried to adapt to the pandemic. Some have hosted drive-in graduations, others have opted for virtual ceremonies or even door-to-door diploma deliveries to celebrate their graduating students.
Families have also come up with creative ways to show their graduates how proud they are of their accomplishments, including drive-by parades and personal ceremonies in their backyards.
Celebrities have also found ways to lift the spirits of the 2020 graduating classes. Earlier this month, NBA star LeBron James hosted a primetime TV special called Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020, to recognize the more than three million graduating seniors nationwide.
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