Bittersweet graduation in the time of pandemic

Gretchen and Mark Wildermuth of Fredonia had planned on a large family party with much to celebrate.

Their oldest daughter graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in three years and their twin seniors at Grafton High School are earning high school diplomas.

Hannah, 21, watched UW’s online ceremony on May 9 with her and her boyfriend’s family. She said she didn’t miss sitting in the sun for four hours, but would like to get to Madison sometime this summer to take traditional graduation photos at its iconic sites.

Logan and Sophia will participate in Grafton’s altered ceremony, one graduate at a time with the principal for photos on the football field.

All three have maintained top-notch grades while participating in several extracurricular activities and sports, with barely a nudge from their parents Mark and Gretchen.

 “I would say from 4K on, ‘This is your job,’” Gretchen said. “We’ve never had to sit them down and say, ‘What do you have due?’”

 “Their work ethic, their academic excellence—they want to strive to get to the top,” Mark said.

The trio credit some of their success to time management.

 “I live by my planner,” Hannah said. “Obviously, I want to do fun things. It’s school before fun, usually.”

She is so meticulous that on the first day she could choose classes at Madison she already had her schedule made for the next three years.

Logan and Sophia, who held jobs throughout high school, had long study nights to keep up with their work.

 For Hannah, finishing her final semester of undergraduate school online wasn’t difficult. Two of her four classes were already online. She got so bored with watching Netflix and eating Pop-Tarts that she got a job at Target.

For the twins, Sophia said online learning was at first a challenge. “It definitely took some time getting used to, but our teachers went above and beyond to make sure any questions we had were answered and provided us with extra guidance,” she said.

“I personally really enjoyed online learning, because it allowed me to be in charge and personalize my learning, as I was able to decide what to best spend my time on.”

Logan said he missed the in-person interaction of class, not to mention the fun of the final days of high school.

Gretchen said she is saddened when events pop in on her phone calendar such as the senior banquet and scholarship night.

“I feel bad they’re getting gypped on senior moments,” she said, “but everybody is.”

Sophia, who went through Grafton’s Project Lead the Way program, participated in its white-coat ceremony at one of her friend’s homes with teachers in virtual attendance.

Hannah credited her high school with making it possible to graduate early from college. She earned 28 college credits before she ever got to Madison.

“I owe them for being able to graduate in three years,” she said. “AP (advanced placement) classes got us ready.”

The family chose to attend Grafton schools through open enrollment because of the larger number of opportunities, such as AP classes.

Sophia and Logan took several AP classes as well. The tests in spring, which allow students who score well to skip lower-level college classes, were done online for the first time. Logan’s went well, but Sophia ran into a technical glitch turning one test in and has to retake it.

Hannah and Sophia have similar career goals. Both want to be veterinarians. Hannah is going back to Madison in fall for vet school, this time for the full four years.

She wants to work in mixed animal emergency medicine, serving animals from dogs and cats to horses and cattle. Volunteering at a humane society during a spring break trip inspired her.

 “I saw how much of an impact we could make in animals’ lives in just a couple of hours,” she said.

She shadowed vets in Cedar Grove and Port Washington, and worked as a vet assistant in Saukville and Madison.

Hannah’s study skills helped her survive Madison’s weed-out class for medical students, organic chemistry.

She remembers calling her mother the first day and telling her she had to “explore other career options,” she said.

But more than 700 note cards later, Hannah made it through the class. She took a “therapeutic” video of her burning her note cards.

Sophia always wanted to be a veterinarian. “I just wanted to be with animals,” she said.

She would like to specialize in working with horses. Through volunteering at Helping Hands Healing Hooves, a therapeutic riding program for children with disabilities, Sophia became fascinated by the relationship between 8-year-olds and 1,000-pound animals.

Sophia will attend the University of Kentucky, which is known for its horse program.

While the family has three shih tzus and a cat, neither got their career inspiration from their parents. Her father sells insurance and her mother is a hair stylist.

Logan would rather work with people and technology, aspiring to be a cinematographer. Gretchen remembers him quoting lines from his favorite movie, “Son of the Mask,” as a child.

He already has a host of videos to his credit, through Christ Church in Mequon and school. A thank-you video Logan did of Fox 6 chief meteorologist Rob Haswell’s visit to his middle school got him hooked.

“At that moment  I realized I loved it,” he said.

Logan worked as cinematographer with a production company on Grafton High School’s Every 15 Minutes production, a scared-straight drunken driving simulation. He got to ride in an ambulance and film in a hospital and jail. The piece has gotten thousands of views on YouTube.

“It really had a huge impact on the public but especially the student body,” he said. “It’s another reminder of the power a video could have.”

Logan planned to attend San Diego State, but changed his mind after the school decided to offer education online this fall. He will now attend Biola University, a small Christian school in La Mirada, Calif., with a strong film program.

 All three plan to work over summer before studies begin in fall.

Mark and Gretchen will become empty-nesters.

Mark admits he’s the more emotional one, tearing up when he saw the video of Sophia’s white-coat ceremony.

Gretchen said she tried to move along with her children as they advanced.

“I enjoyed every stage,” she said. “It’s bittersweet, but I don’t get sad.”