SEARCY, Ark. — The senior year of high school is a year that most will never forget. It's the end of one chapter; the start of another. For the Class of 2020, however, it's a little bit more memorable than most.
"We actually had his 'regular' senior session on the Friday the country kind of went crazy," said Jess McIlroy of J. Fotografi. "Toilet paper was flying off the shelves and they were dismissing school for two weeks."
McIlroy is referring to a senior session she did for Joshua Pylant, a senior at Riverview High School.
But when Governor Asa Hutchinson announced students wouldn't be returning to school this year, McIlroy wanted to do another senior session with Joshua -- but this time, a little different.
"We knew we needed to commemorate this time in history with a photo shoot, in front of the halls he would never walk again," she explained. "In a day that was bitter sweet, the comic embrace of the chaos seemed to be needed, and a perfect way to look back on his senior year."
McIlroy said she had noticed a picture of a high school senior with toilet paper and that's what sparked the idea for her 'Class of COVID-19' photo shoot. She texted Joshua's mother, who mentioned she had a suit and gas mask they could use.
“I didn’t want to remember my senior year as a sad time, but to make fun memories that I can share with my kids and grandkids one day,” Joshua Pylant said. “If you can laugh about it and stay positive, positive things can come out of it.”
To see more of Jess McIlroy's photography, you can visit the J. Fotographi Facebook page.