'Drive-In' Graduation Held On Mount Carmel Football Field

CHICAGO — Mount Carmel High School in the city's Woodlawn neighborhood held a "drive-in" graduation ceremony Sunday to salute its class of 2020. Cars were parked socially distanced at the school's Barda-Dowling Stadium at Carey Field as the ceremony was broadcast on the sound system and through car radios.

The graduates and their parents were allowed to drive onto the football field for the ceremony, according to a news release from the school. The graduates stayed in their cars until the end of the ceremony, when they were directed to stand next to their vehicle for the celebratory “hat toss.”

“I could not be prouder of our school community for coming together to honor this incredible class in our history,” Scott Tabernacki, principal of Mount Carmel, said. “These young men took advantage of the Mount Carmel experience and we look forward to seeing what they accomplish in the future.”

Ned Hughes, Mount Carmel’s president, said “our intention was to make this graduation ceremony as memorable as we could for our graduates and have them come together as an entire class.”