Photo: Kelsie Kilawna

Destany Lulua will graduate this year, but without the fanfare.

It was supposed to be the culmination of 12 years of hard work, but a global virus means graduates of 2020 may never get to walk across the stage.

Among the class of 2020 is Destany Lulua, who returned to school for the first time in months this week.

“I feel pretty excited about returning, I love school,” she said.

The Clarence Fulton Secondary School Grade 12 student told Indiginews she returned because “it would just be awesome to see everyone and get some help from one of my teachers.”

The 18 year old has been attending Fulton since she moved to the Okanagan five years ago.

Lulua comes from the Tsilhqot’in Nation in the Nemiah Valley.

“Schooling is pretty hard right now, because I’m one of those students that need to be face to face with my teacher,” she said.

The COVID crisis has put an end to many much-anticipated grad activities.

“Grad before this whole thing started was basically killer. The grad class had a lot of fun activities that we were going to do – but we can’t, and that really sucks a lot. It’s totally not rad. Dry grad is also what I was totally stoked for, but that sadly won’t happen.

“I was so excited for grad and then it just changed so dramatically. It was so sucky, because I was finally coming out of my shell and wanted to be more involved.”

But Lulua credits here teachers, family and friends with boosting her during these difficult days.

“Basically, everyone around me is so super helpful, and I couldn’t have asked for such great people in my life,” she said.

“In the fall, I’m hoping to go to college for my BA and then get my diploma in human service work. It would be so totally tubular if i can go back to my community and help out around contribute whatever I can and to be with family again, I miss them sooo much.”

- with files from Indiginews