Project Grad; A safe and sensational celebration
MCHS graduates playing poker at their Project Graduation (Photo courtesy of Stacey McGarva)
By Sophie McGarva, staff writer
Would you want your child risking their life on the roads or at parties the night of graduation? I wouldn’t either! This is why Project Graduation was created. Project Graduation is a non-profit group whose job is to keep kids sober and off the streets after celebrating their high school graduation. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are about 1,000 high school students who die while celebrating prom and graduation each year. However, that has changed with the help of Project Grad. Data from the CDC shows that the amount of teens drinking and driving on their graduation night has gone down by 54% since 1991, 4 years after Project Grad started in Sonoma County. There is clear evidence that this committee has made a huge impact on students by keeping them safe and all together on their last day of high school.
At Carrillo, the party had always been on campus, but after being canceled in 2020 due to Covid-19 the committee got last-minute permission to move forward with a party for the class of 2021. Then-president, Katie Rupee, came up with the idea to host the party at Epicenter that year which was cost-effective and required far fewer volunteers. The event was a success and MCHS hosted Project Grad for the class of 2022 at Epicenter again. With a contract signed for the 2023 party, Rupee and her committee received word that Epicenter wanted them to share the event space with grad night activities for Piner and Elsie Allen. After a drawn-out fight with Epicenter management, the committee decided to bring the party back to its roots where the class of 2023 would enjoy their last night on campus all together. It was all hands on deck to secure vendors, food, beverage, decorations, and entertainment to turn Carrillo into ‘Puma Paradise’.
McGarva mentioned that MCHS typically has an 85% attendance turnout for Project Graduation. This surpasses most other county high schools and is impressive given the large class size every year. “I was blown away by the transformation that the gym and our quad went through. The decorations were amazing, the food was so good, and there was something to do at every turn. From the mechanical bull to the casino to the hypnotist, to the hair salon, to the Dutch Bros truck… the event blew us all away”, said 2023 graduate Caroline Cooper.
MCHS Project Grad Secretary and Decoration Chairperson, Stacey McGarva, has been volunteering at this event since 2004. Having such incredible memories of her grad night party at Santa Rosa High School in 1993, McGarva knew this was an event worth putting her time into. “Each year we get better and better and it is so fun to see the kids enter the gym in disbelief of the remaking of the campus. We rarely have any disciplinary problems because the kids are so happy to be there celebrating with their classmates for the last time”, said McGarva. She also mentioned that there is something for everyone at this event from Blackjack to Minute to Win It games to Palm Readers and amazing prizes. She encourages all seniors to make this event a priority and plan to attend on their graduation night.
This event has clearly made a huge positive impact on students' lives and given parents peace of mind knowing their graduates are celebrating in a safe environment.