Not even with 2020 vision, could they have seen this coming

Family members take snapshots of graduating senior Tasha Armstrong as she proudly holds her just-received diploma during commencement exercises on Tuesday at Spaulding High (Rochester Voice photos)

ROCHESTER - Whether sitting comfortably in a chair on the wide expanse of Hugo Bolin field or inside a car passing through the driveway in front of Spaulding High School, Randy Armstrong said he couldn't have been prouder watching his daughter receive her diploma from Spaulding High Principal Justin Roy during a drive-through ceremony on Tuesday.

It was a perfect day for a graduation: a solid cloud cover, not too hot, with the time-honored, poignant marching tune "Pomp and Circumstance" resonating through the air from a speaker near where Roy handed out the diplomas.

A SURREAL SENIOR MOMENT: Spaulding High Principal Justin Roy and graduating senior Karissa Amato give thumbs-up to Amato's family as they watched from inside their car during Tuesday's drive-thru commencement.

"Yes, I'm very proud," said Armstrong as he watched his daughter, Tasha, show off her diploma to her mother, Christine Armstrong, and others.

Tasha Armstrong was one of 278 graduating seniors whose families drove through the senior parking lot off Chestnut Hill Road, then behind the Creteau Tech Center to queue up for a final procession to the front of Spaulding High where Roy handed out the diplomas.

As vehicles pulled up abreast of Roy, graduating seniors would get out, walk to Roy and receive the matriculating document as Jay Keough, a criminal justice teacher at Createau Tech, called out the graduate's name. Then, Roy and the newly recognized graduate would usually turn and give thumbs-ups and smiles for pictures from the family inside the vehicle. After that the graduate would get back in the car and proceed about 50 feet where everyone in the car could briefly get out and take more pictures to memorialize the moment.

And that's how it went some 278 times on Tuesday from 8 a.m. till around 7 p.m.

A COMMENCEMENT NOT SOON FORGOTTEN: Graduation coordinator Karen Enscoe, right, signals a car to go forward as SHS Principal Justin Roy waits for his next graduate. Background right, a family prepares to leave after taking pictures.

For longtime Graduation Coordinator Karen Enscoe it was a pressure-packed scenario as she flagged cars forward from a waiting queue to experience one of their "lifetime moments."

"This has been very challenging since we'd never done it like this before," said Enscoe, whose son, Adam, was one of the graduates.