This high school is delivering its graduation ceremony to students by truck and trailer

Graduating students at Central Algoma Secondary School (CASS) may not have a ceremony this year, but educator and phys-ed teacher Ray Gowlett is making sure that the class of 2021 will be able to dawn a gown and walk across a stage in order to receive their diplomas. 

He’s taken it upon himself to build a 'tailgate grad' - a stage on a trailer that will be towed by pickup truck to the homes of all 72 graduating students from Echo Bay to Thessalon and all points in between. 

“We couldn’t really hold an outdoor grad safely with everybody,” said Gowlett, speaking to SooToday Wednesday. “Then we kind of moved to ‘plan B’ as quickly as we could. What’s the next best thing that we can offer?”

“It was sort of moving in the direction of dropping off diplomas at each grad’s house, like we did last year - we called it the ‘cap and snap’, which was absolutely fantastic. It was well received, especially on incredibly short notice,” he continued. “But we wanted to do something a little more this year for this current set of grads who not only lost out on half of last year, but lost out on all of this year.”

Gowlett says the idea for a mobile stage began taking shape after a brainstorming session with his daughter last Saturday. He then bounced the idea off of another graduation committee member and made calls to local businesses.  

“I had made some calls to some local businesses for the materials, to get a trailer, to get the graphics for the trailer, to get the wood for the trailer - and within a few hours, I had collected all the materials,” he said. “So we went home, built the stage, then I pitched it to the grad committee here at CASS.”

The school will be sending out diplomas, lawn signs, programs and a small gift for each of the graduating students before the 'tailgate grad' pulls into their driveways. Single-use gowns will also be distributed. A lead vehicle will go ahead of Gowlett and ensure that graduating students are good to go by the time the mobile stage arrives for a photo opportunity with the student and their family. 

The mobile graduation will begin in Echo Bay June 26, and wrap up in Thessalon June 27.  

“I think it’s going to be pretty exciting,” said Gowlett. “I wish we could be on a stage inside of our gym because it’s so meaningful and powerful for the students - especially out here at CASS for us where we really enjoy it.”

“But if we can’t do that, I think driving around and letting the kids have their picture taken on a stage, it’s the next best thing we can do.”

Gowlett credits CASS staff and the broader community for coming together to help out and make the mobile graduation happen. 

“Our whole CASS community just jumped in. When I told people the story, half the time they didn’t even let me finish the sentence and they were like, ‘yes we’re in, we’ll do it’ - and it’s just that willingness to help out and do that for our kids that is just fantastic,” he said. 

Compared to what the kids have gone through and what they’ve lost out on due to COVID-19, says Gowlett, it’s the least the community can do for this year’s CASS graduates. 

“I’m a guy who enjoys ideas. I enjoy being creative and thinking outside the box,” he said. “But when you’re creative, by definition, almost none of your ideas will work.”

“You just keep trying until you get something that works, and this happens to be that one that sort of struck the right chord, and it was at the right time. There were all the right people in place who had the right pieces of the puzzle who were able to contribute to making it work.”