Interrupted By Tornado, Then COVID-19, Seniors At St. Mark's School Carry On
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The 2019-2020 school year will certainly go down as a memorable one, especially for high school seniors. But at some Dallas schools, that's not just because of COVID-19.
An unexpected interruption to the school year - and a defining event. For seniors at St. Mark's School of Texas, lightning struck twice. First, when the October 20th tornado ravaged their campus and community.
"I think it's really hard to put it into words. We've had a lot of ups and downs starting the year with the tornado," said senior Aaron Thorne.
Dozens of St. Mark's families had their homes damaged or destroyed. The campus was closed for 10 days. And then came the coronavirus, and a Thursday in March would suddenly be their last day on campus.
"It was definitely super sad for me, having gone to St. Mark's since 1st grade," said senior Colin Campbell. "I came here as a 7-year-old. Now I'm 18. Definitely not the way I ever expected or wanted it to end, but I think that we've been making the most of it."
But despite the disappointment of dashed traditions, they've volunteered and lead, hoping to provide comfort to both the school and greater community.
"Coming into this pandemic, we just kind of kept to the same beat and definitely done as much as possible," said Sam Ahmed.
The seniors say they've used the events to embody the school's motto - courage and honor - in a way they couldn't have imagined.
"It's never been harder for us to maintain that courage," said Campbell. "It's fitting that, in our last couple of months as Marksmen, we're faced with our greatest challenge."
Prom and graduation activities have all been postponed, but the school hopes to hold them on consecutive days in June or July.
