NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — Niagara Falls High School's senior class of 2020 thought they would get to experience the same things as the class of 2019.
Like the class day picnic and parade, prom and of course graduation.
"I was like oh next year that'll be me. Like I'll get to do all those fun things," said Molly Chiarella.
"In ninth, tenth and eleventh, I helped out with prom, class day, graduation and I was like oh my gosh, can't wait to not have to set this all up. Can't wait for somebody else to do it for me," said Felicity Tiberi.
Then the pandemic happened, and they spent the rest of the school year at home.
Valedictorians Molly Chiarella and Felicity Tiberi were disappointed to say the least. But on Saturday, they graduated.
"Even though it's not exactly what I anticipated, it was really nice to be able to give a speech," said Chiarella. "You need to realize that you're not always going to get what everybody else has. And the things that you have, you really need to hold on to them."
"I think it just really made me like appreciate the friends that I have, and just think about them," said Tiberi.
And looking back, Tiberi said she will never forget how the community became united over the past few months.
"All of us came together. Like the school district helped with food service, making sure people had laptops, internet. And I think that out of everything that's going on, I think to focus on more positive things," she said.
