This year’s graduating class of Chimacum Cowboys survived a long, wild ride on a bucking bronco. Sometimes the bronco threw them and they fell hard. A few got trampled underfoot and stayed down for a time. But every Cowboy ultimately got back up, got back on, and held on through graduation.

Over and over, forces beyond their control imposed unexpected changes upon the Class of 2024.

Most of those tribulations hit early.

In 7th grade, they looked forward to being top dogs as 8th graders at Chimacum Middle School, but that summer the district merged its middle and high schools, so the next fall found them at age 13 sharing the halls of Chimacum Junior/Senior High School with towering 18-year-olds.

That March, a global pandemic obliterated spring sports and the entire fourth quarter of 8th grade. The school offered optional online remote learning, but few students participated, opting instead for an extended summer, though not a particularly happy one.

“We were mostly indoors at home,” said 2024 graduate Noah Harding. “It blocked us from full communication. A lot of us didn’t get to see each other for a really long time”

“COVID changed everything,” added classmate Gary Zambor. “It definitely changed the way kids interacted with each other. Their social cues went down. Kids definitely struggled.”

“It hit all of us really hard,” agreed Harding. “It definitely hit me like a train.” 

As freshmen, they spent their first semester of high school at home, doing remote online learning.

Teachers did their best, but most students struggled to muster an academic mindset at home. Many logged on to their video conference classes daily, but then turned off their cameras, muted their microphones, and slept or played video games instead of engaging with lessons. 

Consequently, several students fell behind academically.

Lonely and depressed, some former extroverts became anxious introverts.

Sports returned, but playing basketball is less fun in front of a sparse crowd of socially distanced spectators when a sweat-soaked COVID mask is drooping down your face.

By spring, the school offered a half-day in-person option, masked and socially distanced, but about half the students stayed home and continued remote learning.

As sophomores, the Class of 2024 finally returned to full-time, in-person school, but had to wear COVID masks until spring.

For some, the return to in-person school felt jarring. “I was so used to... being at my house and… doing online school,” said Zambor. “Interaction with people again….”

Most, however, welcomed the return to normalcy. “It was pretty fun getting to see my friends,” said Harding. “It’s the main reason I like school… to hang out, talk to friends.”

Still, the experience left lasting scars. “Two and a half years of COVID mandate, stay home, wear a mask… made me feel like I didn’t have a full experience of high school,” lamented Harding. “It kinda ruined it.” 

“It’s gonna affect our generations for times to come,” added Zambor. “It’s probably going to be used as an excuse as well.”

As juniors and seniors, the Class of 2024 finally got to experience fully normal high school life, including the triumphs, camaraderie, and school spirit fostered by a resurgent Rivals sports program.

Whether they were cheering from the sidelines and bleachers, or gearing up for Friday night lights, lacing up their basketball shoes, or putting on shin guards; athletics brought the school community together. 

“It shaped me into a better person, and created bonds with other seniors on and off the court,” says varsity hoops star Aidan Stepanski. “School spirit brought me and my teammates closer together. That I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”  

In his senior year, Zambor, a three-sport athlete, found it “pretty cool” to double as a sportswriter. Zambor and the rest of Chimacum’s journalism class produced most of the Leader’s coverage of Rivals sports this school year.

After easing student workloads during the pandemic, teachers gradually ratcheted up to normal academic standards, including a healthy dose of homework in some subjects.

Consequently, seniors grappled with the challenge of balancing jobs and sports with homework.

“It can be a lot,” said James Van Otten. “If you can handle that… workload, go for it. If it’s too stressful, then you need to prioritize school….  Whenever I need to take time off for school-related events, my boss is usually okay with that.”

Donovan Rivel agreed: “I work from 2:40ish until 6:00 and once I’m home, if I have any free time, I can crank out any homework I have. Otherwise, I get everything done in school.”

Rivel conceded that his social life is “somewhat ruined. You can’t have all three: you can’t have good school, good work, and a social life. You sacrifice one for the other two.”

With the completion of high school, some members of the Class of 2024 regard the future with trepidation.

“I’m not ready to graduate,” said Harding. “COVID was part of it…. I still feel I’m not an adult, yet.” 

Rhody Princess Rosey Schmucker feels “sad, ‘cause I don’t know what I wanna do for the rest of my life.… Being in a school for 12 years, then… suddenly being opened up to the world is just scary.”

Schmucker plans to take a gap year to “save up” and then “do college.”

Even seniors with firmer plans feel nervous about leaving high school.

Rivel, who has attended Chimacum schools since fourth grade, said, “I’m leaving an environment that I’ve grown to know… and be comfortable with. I’m gonna be moving on into a bigger picture; a wider environment with a lot more scenarios that I probably haven’t planned for.”

Already a skilled auto mechanic, Rivel will attend the NASCAR Technical Institute in North Carolina next year.

Having shown remarkable resilience and determination, the Class of 2024 draws courage from the confidence they gained in high school. 

“I was able to grow in discipline and self-respect,” said Harding, who learned “to get my work done easier. I’m proud of myself: going out into the real world [and] not worrying about having a job.”

Harding added he is “getting an internship at the PUD” to work “for a little while, then go to school and get a certification to become a lineman.”

“I feel like most of the seniors this year have a good head on their shoulders and know what they want to do,” said Adrian Garcia, who has enlisted in the Marines and is reporting for boot camp the day after graduation.

Zambor is moving to Hawaii. “I’m starting my own clothing brand,” he said.

“I’ll probably miss high school, honestly,” said Harding, but others have no wish to relive their sometimes harrowing secondary school experience.

Asked if he would miss high school, Zambor firmly replied, “Absolutely not.”

Ethan Riker and John Nuchia are students in Brian MacKenzie’s CHS journalism class. Timothy Heemstra and Laaodo Yumang also contributed reporting and writing to this story.