Juniors’ ring ceremonies were canceled, so red carpet was rolled out for a car parade

‘Tis the season for high school junior ring ceremonies. In Miami-Dade, the principals count down from three. The juniors put on their rings as they’re declared the new senior class. Then they rush off to take photos under larger-than-life ring props to ring in their senior year.

But the coronavirus pandemic won’t let the Class of 2021 do that at school. So Ed Jones, the Miami-Dade franchise owner of educational memorabilia giant Herff Jones, did what he could to make the rising upperclassmen feel special.

Even with the majority of his employees furloughed, Jones rolled out the red carpet outside his Doral warehouse for the soon-to-be seniors. Literally.

He created a nine-day car parade where students and their families could drive up to pick up their class rings and celebrate in style — without ever leaving their cars. Spaced five minutes apart, students and their families arrive at their appointment times, roll up to a tent to check in, and then roll on to the next tent for the red-carpet treatment.

By Wednesday, more than 2,000 students from 46 public, private and charter schools that had to cancel their ring ceremonies will have collected their rings.

Cars on Saturday arrived to thumping music and welcoming giant inflatable wacky men. They pulled up to the red carpet between matching velvet ropes as Jones and his remaining employees surrounded each car, banging on pots and pans and waving pom-poms, cheering for each student. Party music blasted as each future senior was called out by name and school over the loudspeaker.

Their custom ring was brought out on a silver platter, and each student had a quick photo shoot flashing their new bling from the car window.

Jones said he’s seen students caravan with their families, usually with grandparents and extended family trailing behind. Sometimes students will catch up in the parking lot with friends.

And he says students have arrived in style, with some truck beds transforming into thrones for seniors.

Jones knows students and their families want the traditional ceremony they’ve waited for but says parents appreciate the more family-oriented event. He’s caught a few mothers tearing up.

“It moves it from a class event to a countywide class event,” Jones said. “But really, [it’s become] a family thing.”

Origin of the tradition

The high school ring ceremony stems from a tradition established in 1835 at the United States Military Academy at West Point, according to Jones, who’s worked for Herff Jones for 30 years.

In most parts of the country, high school students can get their class rings at any grade level. But Miami-Dade County schools — public, private and charter — reserve that rite of passage for juniors.

“We’re the only ones that have the juniors, and it makes them become upperclassmen,” Jones said. “You have to be a junior. You have to earn it.”

Deondre Robinson, a junior at School for Advanced Studies in Homestead, wasn’t sure what to expect when he went to pick up his ring Saturday.

“I was shocked, the guy said my name out loud,” said Robinson, 16. He rode up with his mother, grandmother and nephew to pick up his ruby red ring, engraved with his initials and a basketball. His father, stepmother and little sisters trailed behind in an SUV.

“This is my only child, so of course I wanted the traditional, walking down the aisle ceremony,” said Robinson’s mother, Shakil Bryant. “But they called his name, this made up for it. I’m excited they did this. It shows they really care about the kids and their rings.”

Best friends Amy Garcia and Mell Hernandez, both 17, rode in the backseat of Garcia’s family car. The Mater Academy juniors got dolled up for the parade.

“I thought they were just going to give us the ring and that’s it,” Garcia said.

They modeled their bling for the camera. Hernandez, a former cheerleader, got her ring with a cheerleader on it, her name engraved and a stone in her favorite color, pink. Garcia got hers in blue, her favorite color, with her zodiac sign and her name.

“Honestly, I wasn’t expecting all of this,” Hernandez said. “They made us feel really good. It was really fun.”

Going for a prize

Marlon Llanes saw on Instagram that there would be a cash prize for the best-decorated car in the parade. The 17-year-old transformed his mom’s white SUV into a parade float with balloons, shiny fringe banners and paint dotted on the tires — all in silver and blue, the school colors of iMater Academy.

“We have nothing to do at home, so we might as well decorate,” said Llanes.

As the school’s student president, he channeled that spirit into the car. It reflected his custom ring, which reflected his time in student council and had a bright blue stone, which is coincidentally also his birth month stone.

He said he hoped he could’ve had a traditional ceremony, “but on the other hand, this is pretty exciting that they had this for us,” Llanes said. “It kind of shocked me. I was expecting something much less exciting. I felt nice. I felt special.”

His girlfriend, 16-year-old iMater sophomore Adali Rodriguez, sat shotgun in the car transformed into a parade float.

“This is like the best we could do in our situation, but I would still want a junior ring ceremony,” she said. “I got pretty lucky I’m a sophomore.”

This story was originally published May 19, 2020 at 6:00 AM.