Mossman State High School year 12 students walked through the school gates for the final time yesterday in a year like no other.

The class of 2020 graduated last night as the first class to finish Year 12 during a pandemic, after what has been a tough year, with the threat of COVID-19 casting uncertainty on much of their senior year.

However, this graduating class is no stranger to firsts; they were the first full year group to start Prep, the first to start high school in Year 7, and the first to sit ATAR exams in Queensland, which replaced the former OP system.

Senior School Head of Department, Greg Hamilton, congratulated the outgoing students.

“They've had a senior year like no other before them,” he said.

“They were the first group of students to have their last year impacted by a global pandemic and as part of that, there was a period where they weren't able to attend school and had to work in a totally new environment.

“That's on top of the fact that they were already the first group of students to come through in the new Queensland Certificate of Education system.”

Mr Hamilton said he is proud to see that through all those changes they have persevered and have now made it to graduation.

“They have persisted and shown huge resilience, dealing with all the changes that have been put before them and I hope that it sets them up to be more adaptable in their future.”

Mossman year 12 student, Kira-May Tanner agreed, saying she feels like this year has taught her a lot.

“In a weird way, I think that I'm lucky that I studied through this pandemic because it taught me a lot about resilience and how things can change,” she said.

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“Personally, I didn't mind home-schooling, but I am aware that a lot of my friends really struggled and were stressed without having help with assessments.

“It feels very very good to be done now and I'm definitely excited to move on to real adult life,” she said.

Her words were echoed by fellow classmate, Jorja Harvey.

“I’m really excited and I think that everyone is too, it’s a little scary that we don’t know what we are doing next, but I think it will be fun,” she said.

And while it may not be the overseas or Gold Coast celebrations many from the class of 2020 dreamed of; this group of school leavers will still celebrate with friends, with many heading off to Cairns or Lake Tinaroo for schoolies.