Milford parents create “Adopt a Senior” program
June 7, 2020
Graduation, Prom, The Senior All-Night Party – these are the events that the seniors were looking forward to the most to end their high school experiences. Some already planned out outfits or were asked to the dance.
But since the social distancing restrictions don’t exactly allow for these long-awaited events to take place,seniors are hugely disappointed by their send-off. Working 13 years for these events makes it more than understandable, and one’s frustration may especially increase during the time frame that these planned event dates approach.
Making the students feel honored even during these uncertain times is a huge challenge for the Milford staff and parents.
To show the seniors some appreciation and to cheer them up, Barb Roethler, mother of Senior Mallory Roethler, followed the idea of other schools nationwide and presented the idea of “Adopt- A-Senior” to the Milford community. Roethler explains how she let the idea of bringing joy to the seniors became reality: “I set up the Facebook page, invited any of my own Facebook friends that were part of the Milford community, and then encouraged others to do the same.” The idea of honoring the students even without a clap out or last walk down the hallways, works as follows: Parents can post some pictures with a caption individually describing their graduating child, telling the readers and possible adopters who they are and how they were active in the Milford High School community
As soon as the guardians post into the Facebook group, called “Adopt a Milford Senior,” the members of the group can adopt the student and make them smile with little gifts delivered to his/her home. “There have been favorite snacks, crafts, gift cards, shirts, hats, trinkets, pictures, etc,” said Barb Roethler. These gifts will be dropped off until the first week of June, which would have been the date of the graduation. Not only parents are adopting the students; teachers, coaches, business owners, and different group leaders in the community are taking part in giving the class of 2020 a better ending to their high school life. The time until students get adopted is normally not longer than a few hours. Within a few days of publishing the first post, the number of adopted seniors grew to almost 100, and it is still increasing every day.
Roethler says that the feedback is amazing. Not only parents appreciate the gesture of honoring the seniors, but also seniors tell her that it made their day. “This has been really rewarding for me,”declared Roethler. She succeeded in reaching her goal of bringing them joy and giving the class of 2020 the recognition the students deserve.
Even though it doesn’t replace the actual senior year ending, it is a good way to make the best out of it. To conclude Roethler would like to tell the seniors that it is okay to be sad and maybe even mad at some times.
“It’s OK to feel that way because it’s not fair that you are missing out on these important memories and milestones. But most of all, you need to know we are proud of you all and I hope that the Adopt- A-Senior gesture at least showed you how much you are loved and that our entire community, family and friends are supporting you.”