Aurora College grads on 'bittersweet' celebrations amid pandemic

When Gloria Gaudet said goodbye to her classmates, she didn't think it would be for the last time in the foreseeable future.

It was late March, and they were only a month away from graduation at Yellowknife's Aurora College. 

They had potlucks and celebratory events planned, and her family was going to make the trip from Délı̨nę to see her walk across the stage.

But when she went home to visit her family for March break, she never came back to Yellowknife.

While she was back home the COVID-19 pandemic hit and classes were moved online. Not long after, in-person classes were cancelled. So was the graduation ceremony.

"We just left and we're not coming back. So it's kind of disappointing not to say proper goodbyes because we built a family and we've been together for two years, and it's really sad to leave it like that," said Gaudet

Many of her fellow classmates were also feeling sad that they wouldn't get to culminate their success together, and that they wouldn't be able to thank their teachers. So, they decided to make a graduation tribute video, where they pretended to pass diplomas to one another.

"It was something that we thought they deserved and we deserved as closure ... there were a lot of tears. It was really emotional for us."

For Dylan Jones, this would have been his first time ever walking across a graduation stage.

Jones, better known as the rapper Crook the Kid, dropped out of school in Grade 10. More than a decade later, he's graduating from Aurora College after studying environmental and natural resources technology. He said getting his diploma sent to him through the mail is a "bittersweet" experience.

On one hand, it opens doors for his career that he never could have imagined. But on the other, his parents won't be able to see him cross the stage for the first time.

"I never graduated anything before, this was going to be it. And the opportunity to walk the stage and sort of feel like that person for a minute would have been really neat."

He didn't get to have the big celebration with his family that he imagined, but they are helping him mark the occasion in small moments and reminders that he accomplished his goals. His mom even had a graduation ring made for him.

"Even though it is different than it would have been, even though there's much less celebration ... it's still a great feeling," Jones said. "Not even a pandemic can't take away that sense of accomplishment."

Plus, Jones said Aurora College has also told students there is a possibility that once the pandemic is over they might hold an in-person convocation.

In the meantime, Gaudet said she's just focused on what she can control. 

"It's really difficult for all of us ... we need to be safe, but we still have that memory and we still celebrate it."

"We just hold on to what we have accomplished and look forward to the future."