I am writing this letter as a member of Bromfield’s Class of 2020 and as a deeply grateful Harvard resident. Last Friday, my classmates and I gathered in what I can only describe as our last hurrah—our senior parade. The euphoria attributed to senior year that had previously been stripped away by unforeseen circumstances seemed to reemerge as we all lined up in our vehicles to say a final goodbye to a town that witnessed our growth from start to finish. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting to gain from the experience, but I received more than I could have ever hoped for. As we paraded through the streets of Harvard, I saw a community that cared enough to make our otherwise anticlimactic last year one we would never forget. I saw neighbors who, despite not having a senior of their own, joined in to cheer us on and wish us good luck; friends and family of all ages stood in support and solidarity. With the sound of sirens from the firetruck escorts in one ear and hollers of good fortune in the other, I couldn’t help but grin a toothy grin and wave back to a town I am so proud to call home.
Bromfield’s Class of 2020 will never get a conventional senior year, but we were lucky enough to have been raised in a community that genuinely cares for our well-being and happiness. I am especially grateful to the Bromfield School, the Celebration Committee, the Harvard Fire Department, the Harvard Police Department, and the Harvard Ambulance Service for organizing and facilitating the parade. To all those who shined a light on this year’s graduating class when all else seemed so dark—thank you. Thank you for reminding us that we are destined to do great things even if our high school career was cut short, and for instilling in us the importance of togetherness in a world that needs it now more than ever.
Raiya Suliman
Blanchard Road
