Senior Send-off: The Marvelous Maverick Motorcade, Take 2

Montrose+Mascot+Monty+waving+at+seniors+from+a+Medfield+firetruck.

Adam Richins

Montrose Mascot Monty waving at seniors from a Medfield firetruck.

While graduation is a day when the whole community celebrates its graduates, this year the outside ceremony remained restricted to families. However, the school community rallied two days before graduation with a rousing motorcade sendoff. At Montrose, we are able to innovate and respond quickly to problems we encounter, and resilience has been our theme for the year. The problems the pandemic brought on were met by the strong, tenacious responses of our faculty, staff, and most importantly, our students. Montrose reimagined the graduation ceremony in a whole new way for the classes of 2020 and 2021. We all love to cheer on our teammates, cast members, role models, and friends. The computer screens we have been using for almost a year became our only mode of viewing for this ceremony. Luckily, our community found a new way for all of us to celebrate.

During the six months that we were stuck in isolation last spring and summer, friends and family found creative ways to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, and more. The rolling rally was an activity that did not require masks or social distancing. It also allowed for a larger number of people to attend. Montrose took inspiration from these parties and invented their own rolling rally: The Maverick Motorcade.

Imagine twenty cars lined up in front of our beloved Miracle Field. Picture signs and several shades of red and white. Hear the honking of horns, ringing of bells, and blasting of music. This was our 2020 Maverick Motorcade. It all began with our beloved Athletic Director Mrs. Boynton starting the parade off riding on the Medfield fire truck. What followed was the most amount of cars and noise I have ever heard in my entire life. Every car had decorations and sweet written messages that made the seniors feel so loved. I even recall one family riding in the back of their truck sitting on beach chairs with a large sign congratulating their daughter.

A cardboard cutout of Pope Francis greets the senior class at the Maverick Motorcade. (Adam Richins)

The Motorcade was such a big success that they decided to bring it back this year for the Class of 2021. With our mascot Monty and (life sized images of) celebrity guests such as Pope Francis, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Actor-Producer Ellen Pompeo, we celebrated the Class of 2021 in style. We also were able to take photos and chat with the seniors without the restrictions. The final difference was that my car radio was actually working this year. Of course, “Levitating” by Dua Lipa was blasting out my window. 

Our seniors are the oldest, wisest members of our student body. They share their example with us, lead us, and teach us valuable life lessons that we need to get through life. No matter what, we always will want to cheer them on and celebrate them. At our auction, Mrs. Boynton described one moment she pictures when she thinks of our Maverick spirit: the IGC Basketball Championship Game. The A&A was filled with loud cheering, intense playing, and an overall love for our community. Just like that game, the Maverick Motorcade was filled with a love, kindness, and support that you would never be able to receive at any other school. The next time I am asked how to describe our Maverick spirit, the first memory my mind will go to will be the Maverick Motorcades of 2020 and 2021. 

Kate Novack ‘24, Features Editor

24cnovack@montroseschool.org