Social Distancing Graduation for Calif. Teenager

Ruhi Baichwal graduates from Crystal Springs Uplands School in Hillsborough, Calif., on June 4. She is headed to University of Chicago this fall. The private school conducted a “drive-in” ceremony after working with the county to ensure compliance with social distancing guidelines. “It was a very organized event that the school put a lot of thought into,” says Ruhi’s mother, Varsha Baichwal, vice president, Customer Success & Account Management at Karius. Seventy-two families were divided into four arrival time slots and asked to arrive during that 15 minute time period. No one expect the graduate was allowed to exit the car. The lots  were drawn randomly via Zoom. Prior to the June 4 ceremony, the school administration personally delivered to each student, a custom mask with the school mascot, a graduation cap, an enlarged photo of the senior portrait for that student, a magnet, other cap and car decorating supplies. “Normally the entire school community would be invited, but this time it was just students and immediate families,” Varsha says. “No hand shakes, no group photos, no live music by school band; but still an amazing experience.”