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8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This resolution recognizes the students graduating from high school and institutions of
11 higher education in 2020.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This resolution:
14 ▸ recognizes students expected to graduate from high school, colleges, and
15 universities in 2020 during unusual circumstances; and
16 ▸ acknowledges the creative and meaningful efforts of schools and families to mark
17 the achievement of Utah's 2020 graduates.
18 Special Clauses:
19 None
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21 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
22 WHEREAS, a student's senior year of high school is the culmination of more than a
23 decade of hard work;
24 WHEREAS, approximately 42,000 to 43,000 students were expected to graduate from
25 public high schools in Utah's 2020 graduating class during unusual circumstances;
26 WHEREAS, high school seniors typically have an opportunity to participate in cultural
27 milestones during their senior year, including senior prom and high school graduation;
28 WHEREAS, at the time of school closures in the 2019-2020 school year, high school
29 students, including seniors, were participating in a variety of extracurricular activities, with
30 over 28,000 students participating in athletics -- such as baseball, track and field, and lacrosse
31 -- and over 27,000 students participating in music, theatre, and debate;
32 WHEREAS, because of school closures in the 2019-2020 school year due to the spread
33 of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Utah's high school graduating class of
34 2020 had a senior year unlike any other and missed out on opportunities that prior generations
35 have not;
36 WHEREAS, during the spring and summer of 2020, thousands of students were
37 expected to graduate from Utah's eight public colleges and universities and eight technical
38 colleges, and thousands more students were expected to graduate from private colleges and
39 universities in the state;
40 WHEREAS, students graduating from colleges and universities have invested
41 considerable time and resources to obtain certificates and degrees from these institutions, and
42 many students worked to achieve this laudable goal with significant personal and familial
43 sacrifices;
44 WHEREAS, Utah's high school seniors and students graduating from the state's public
45 and private colleges and universities have demonstrated resilience and determination while
46 turning the challenges of the 2019-2020 school year into opportunities; and
47 WHEREAS, state leaders have confidence that students in Utah's 2020 high school
48 graduating class and graduates from Utah's public and private colleges and universities will use
49 what they have learned in their education as they continue in their path to future leadership:
50 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
51 Governor concurring therein, hereby congratulates every student from the 2020 graduating
52 class of every high school in Utah and every student graduating from every college and
53 university in Utah for this significant achievement.
54 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and Governor hereby praise public
55 and private schools for their efforts to recognize 2020 graduates through thoughtful and
56 resourceful activities and graduation ceremonies, acknowledging the time and work teachers
57 and school leaders invested in making these activities meaningful and memorable for graduates
58 and their families.
59 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and Governor hereby acknowledge
60 the outstanding creativity of the families and friends of Utah's high school and college
61 graduates to mark these students' achievements.