The Class of 2021 at Littlestown High School (LHS) graduated on Friday, June 4, 2021 at a ceremony held in the new Thunderbolt Stadium. The class included 151 graduates.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article did not properly credit Travis Hartlaub for the photos in the slideshow on this page. Thanks Mr. Hartlaub, and sorry.
The 2020-2021 school year brought challenges and new ways of learning as this second class of COVID pandemic students moved toward their diplomas. The class of 2021 adapted to their new reality, worked hard, and walked into the next phase of their lives with their heads held high.
Speakers at graduation included Class President Lindsey M. Flanary; Valedictorian, Maxm A. Akins; and Salutatorian, Lily R. Proskine. Remarks were also made by District Superintendent Christopher Bigger and LHS Principal Dr. Matthew Meakin.
Speaking of the challenges of a school during pandemic, LHS graduate Isabelle Wall said “I think the most challenging thing was switching between being in school and having Zoom calls online…. And not having that teacher connection because of not being in school. We had a lot of new teachers in the school this year.”
Despite being in the middle of the pandemic, the class of 2021 did have one distinct advantage early on in their school career. This class was the first class to be introduced to the iPad in 7th grade. This introduction to technology became key in their success during the pandemic. “We’ve been used to the idea of doing things on computer and not on pen and paper. We’ve been preparing for this, but we didn’t really expect this to happen,” said Wall.
Wall expressed how much the teachers during her school career meant to her with their continued encouragement and support. She mentioned one retired teacher that gave her the most support, Mrs. Tschida. “My psychology teacher in 10th grade, Mrs. Tschida ended up retiring after the year I had her. She has been one of my biggest supporters as a teacher,” Wall said, “She’s really what kept me going through high school.”
During high school, Wall played tennis up into her junior year. This year she had a dual enrollment at HACC with online classes, worked full-time at Stoney Point Farm Market, and coached cheer for Littlestown Elementary Football Association. In the fall semester, wall will be attending Stevenson University in Owings Mills, MD to major in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. She would like to become a Criminologist.
Reflecting on her time at Littlestown High School, Wall was certain that over-all it was a positive experience.
“I transferred to Littlestown my 7th grade year. When I started high school, I was just, ‘I’m not going to miss this and I’m ready to get this over with,” she said, “and now I look back and I have made so many friends along the way. Some of these teachers impacted my life more than I ever realized they did at the time. I genuinely think that, without the help of some of them, I wouldn’t be the same person that I am today.”
Congratulations to the LHS Class of 2021.
Click on any image to start slideshow (All photos thanks to Travis Hartlaub).
Christina Grim grew up in Shippensburg, PA, Franklin County, and graduated from Shippensburg Area High School. She is an experienced interviewer, researcher, and news reporter, having worked for the Shippensburg News-Chronicle as a staff reporter during college. Driven by the desire to know the facts and answers to today’s issues, she takes seriously the importance of providing the best reporting possible. Ms. Grim earned her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Messiah College and has worked in her field, either in print or radio/streamed media for the last 25 years. As a single mother, she has learned that the best things in life come from hard work and multi-tasking. She is the mother of two adult children and two cats
I provided the pictures for this post and would have liked some credit given in the article for the pictures.
Travis, I very much apologize. Thanks so much for sharing these photos with us.