Joliet Township High School has announced that Joliet Central High School and Joliet West High School Virtual Graduations will take place on May 29 at 7 p.m.  The events are made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of the JTHS Athletic Boosters and the JTHS Foundation.

The graduations, professionally produced by Unidos Marketing and Moonstep Productions, will debut on Facebook and YouTube.  Cesar Cardenas, owner of Unidos Marketing, is a Central alumnus from the Class of 1995, and Brian Bessler, owner of Moonstep Productions and founder of the popular Facebook group “Joliet Area Restaurant Delivery/Curbside/Carryout Options,” is a Central alumnus from the Class of 1997.

“JTHS alumni are a prominent theme of the graduation,” said Dr. Karla Guseman, JTHS Superintendent.  “We have over 1,500 seniors graduating this year, and we wanted to make it special by including alumni who could tell their stories of success, while providing messages of encouragement.  We have four alumni that are reading the graduate’s names, and we are so thankful for their participation.  This is just one example of the care and detail put into this production.”

When the graduate’s names are read, a slide will appear on the screen with each graduate’s photo and name.  Alumni graduate name announcers include Erick Deshaun Dorris, Central Class of 1999; Lorraine Guerrero-Neumayer, Central Class of 1998; Mike Clark, West Class of 1999; and Bob Navarro, West Class of 1987.

“We know the virtual graduation can never replace the in-person graduation we would have had, but we want our families to know that we are pouring our heart and soul into this virtual graduation,” said Guseman.  “The silver lining in this is how our community has come together to support our seniors.  It is so heartwarming, and we truly hope our seniors and families will remember this graduation as a special time in their lives.”

At the conclusion of the graduation, the district is asking seniors, families, staff, alumni, and community to “Make Some Noise for the Class of 2020”  by stepping outside to bang pots and pans and shout congratulations.

“Our hope is that we will hear the entire community support the Class of 2020,” said Guseman.