Walking across the stage Saturday brought closure for 44 Cole County R-1 High School graduates.
The Russellville graduation was originally scheduled for early May but was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, high school Principal David Volkart said.
It's a "great feeling" to have an in-person graduation this year, Volkart said, especially since there were numerous unknowns throughout the spring semester.
Volkart added the school is proud of the graduates and appreciated their patience and positive attitudes.
"Certainly the end of this year has been very unorthodox, and getting to do the ceremony brings us closure for those kids and the opportunity to celebrate them and their accomplishment of graduating high school," he said.
Valedictorian Gabriela Kauffman said it hadn't really struck her yet that she was now a graduate since the last few months flew by in an unexpected way.
At the beginning of the school year, her class was eager to experience their last day of high school. When the school closed because of the coronavirus pandemic though, Kauffman said, her classmates didn't know that would be the last time they would be in class together.
"We didn't get any closure," she said. "We didn't know it was our last day of school. We just left and thought we were coming back and then just didn't."
Coming from a small school, it was strange not attending classes with her friends, Kauffman said, many of whom she's known since preschool.
"A lot of us have been together for 15 years now, so it will definitely be weird not going to school with them anymore," said Kauffman, who plans to attend the University of Missouri-Columbia and pursue a biochemistry degree.
Many of the recent graduates are eager to pursue a new adventure though.
"I'm excited that we're actually getting to do (graduation), and I'm ready to go to college. I'm ready for that next step," said Leah Schollmeyer, who plans to pursue a nursing degree at State Fair Community College in Sedalia.
While the coronavirus pandemic may not have made the Class of 2020's senior year go as smoothly as they had hoped, there is still a silver lining, graduate Braden Hickey said.
Having to take online classes the last semester may have helped the Class of 2020 prepare for the future.
"You have to be really organized when we were doing online classes and pay attention to everything, so I feel like that kind of helped going into college," Hickey said.
Hickey plans to attend Moberly Community College and University of Missouri-Columbia, potentially majoring in an agriculture-related field.
Due to the pandemic, the school district made a couple of adjustments to this year's graduation, such as spacing out graduates' chairs. The school district initially planned to hold the graduation outside but had to move the ceremony inside due to weather.
The Class of 2020 certainly won't forget their senior year and the lessons they have learned, Volkart said. The biggest lesson he thinks the graduating class learned is to "focus on the things you can control."
"The old saying is, 'It is what it is.' I believe it is what you make of it," Volkart said. "Have a positive approach and move forward doing the best that you can."
During the graduation ceremony, a chair was decorated with a signed cap, gown and blue flower. Elizabeth Eidson died in a vehicle wreck in October 2017 while driving to school.
The school held a moment of silence for Eidson.