Community
Peachtree Corners Schools Celebrate the Class of 2020
A smiling, waving high school senior wearing a wide grin in the passenger seat. A proud, beaming family member behind the wheel. Their car cruising slowly past cheering, noisemaker-blowing faculty and staff. The inscription “Class of Covid 19” inscribed on a rear window.
That scene from Greater Atlanta Christian School (GAC) seemed to sum up a roller-coaster end of the year for graduating seniors from Peachtree Corners. Confronted with a deepening pandemic, school administrators scrambled for safer ways of honoring — and educating — students finishing their high-school careers and preparing to take on a vastly changed world. By all accounts, they succeeded.
Some Things Lost, Some Things Gained
“I don’t feel like we’ve missed out on anything crucial because we have been doing other things to make up for it,” said senior and Peachtree Corners resident Kaitlyn Williams.
From recorded, professional-grade virtual graduation ceremonies to at-a-distance video awards nights for academic and extracurricular achievements to parades to extracurricular club social media pages featuring check-ins and congrats, the Class of 2020 DID get its due.
“Sure, they’re disappointed they didn’t get to be with their friends,” said Dr. Eric Davidson, principal of Duluth High School. “That’s a lot of school anyway, time spent with friends, especially second semester of the senior year.” Missing out on in-person contact and encouragement from faculty members was another factor.
While that intangible buzz that courses through school halls prior to graduation this year was absent, along with proms, athletic competitions, senior day celebrations and other events, it was seemingly replaced by the students’ res olve to soldier through — and make a difference in the process.
As Gwinnett School Board member Dr. Mary Kay Murphy told graduates virtually, “you did not give into the uncertainty and fear caused by the pandemic. Instead, you went about your coursework with courage, common-sense and optimism.”
Administrators tasked with replacing “the real” with the socially distanced — whether coursework or senior recognition — got an A-plus for pivoting quickly and thinking creatively. The Greater Atlanta Christian School drive-through parade was one highlight.
“It was an opportunity for seniors to decorate their cars and drive through campus with an enthusiastic crowd of teachers from kindergarten through 12th grade and staff cheering them all the way,” said GAC School President Dr. Scott Harsh. The emotion was palpable…there were definitely tears…but all tears of joy.”
“It was fantastic,” said senior salutatorian Williams, who plans to head to Brown University in Rhode Island this fall to study applied math and play soccer. “We were sticking out of the windows and the sunroofs,” waving at the crowd and cruising past signs with their graduation pics.
The City Honors the Graduates
Out-of-the-ordinary kudos also came from the City of Peachtree Corners, which hired an outside firm to orchestrate a video tribute.
Mayor Mike Mason said the idea came from longtime resident Nancy Minor, who wanted special recognition of what he termed a “rite of passage.”
“We contacted 11 high schools, public and private, that serve our community asking for administrators to help get the word out,” he said in an email. The city also utilized social media and civic groups to spread the word.
City spokeswoman Judy Putnam said at least 140 students sent in photos and information, photos and footage from the schools was assembled, students were interviewed and information about congratulatory activities across the community at large was folded in.
The video was directed and produced by Jim Stone of Tytan Pictures, a production and media company that regularly works with the city.
Why all the effort? “The schools have gone to great lengths to make graduation special for their students,” explained Mason. “The city also thought it appropriate to do something special for these young people.”
The 2020 High School Senior Class video is available on the city’s YouTube channel, PCN Network. The video was also displayed May 29-31 on the big screen at the Town Green.
Virtual Graduations
The virtual high school graduations gave students perspective and context, a sense of gratitude and a challenge to do well in the world. They were viewable live and also archived on the district website.
It may sound like a contradiction in terms, but Norcross High School’s virtual ceremony, as did the others, worked on being “alone together.” Students pledged allegiance to the flag — individually — in videos submitted by their families. Technicians then assembled them into a group. Band members playing the National Anthem and a choral group got the same treatment.
Speeches from Principal Will Bishop, Supt. J. Alvin Wilbanks, the valedictorian and salutatorian were a prominent facet. The addresses then gave way to an alphabetically presented photo display highlighting each soon-to-be degree-holder by name and achievements.
The recorded graduations were set in a mold, but seniors at Paul Duke STEM High School added a lively touch: a senior class video which showed students hanging out with friends, dancing, skating, chowing down on pizza and mugging for the camera.
More sedately, Norcross Valedictorian and Peachtree Corners resident Luke Gries set an optimistic but cautious tone in his address: “Over the last month I’ve had an extraordinary amount of time to self-reflect while procrastinating on my digital work and here are a few of the things I’ve recognized. Number one, live each moment to the fullest because you never know when it might be taken away.”
And: “I don’t think I realized how important going to a graduation ceremony was to me until I couldn’t do it anymore.”
The Importance of Connection
Fellow Norcross grad and Peachtree Corners resident Feben Simeneh echoed the reflective mood as she told a reporter that yes, it was sad to lose a major part of the senior year, “but it didn’t stop me from connecting with the ones I love.”
Many ways to be recognized and connect came their way, she said. One such instance involved the track team. “Our coaches would have Zoom calls where we would all work out together and see each other twice a week. Then I’d go out on a run. We’d run together but not physically,” Simeneh explained.
Simeneh, who plans to attend UGA this fall and major in international affairs, also put her expressed love into action by helping her church prepare care kits (hand sanitizer, gloves, etc.) and deliver them to the elderly and needy.
At Paul Duke STEM High, Principal Dr. Jonathon Wetherington said they instituted a weekly conference call for the entire senior class, all 120 or so of them. Some 40 to 90 would take part each week utilizing the Google Meets platform.
He said they were opportunities for seniors to connect, recognize one another and share events in their lives as well as a vehicle for the administration to pass along updates on the school year and Coronavirus developments.
“One of the stresses with the students has been uncertainty, and by having regular meetings we were able to reduce a great deal of that uncertainty,” he said.
A welcome stressbuster came for Greater Atlanta Christian grads who were treated — as a surprise — to personal home delivery of yard signs celebrating their achievements, plus their caps and gowns. Jaws dropped. Addressing still another stressor, said administrators, counselors took time to talk to students feeling thrown for a loop by the pandemic. Some of them were left feeling lost by the cancellation of in-person events that couldn’t be converted.
Duluth High, by way of example, saw its senior day go by the wayside, where students gather outside to get their yearbooks signed, chow down on burgers, play games and hang out with each other faculty members.
“That’s a difficult thing to replicate virtually,” noted Principal Davidson.
The prom also was scuttled. And as for the time-honored senior skip day?
A chuckle. “That was every day,” said Davidson. And as Wilbanks noted while addressing graduates, ‘’It’s no fun skipping home.”
Facing It Together
This year’s Peachtree Corners seniors have faced other hurdles. Williams, for example, told of a friend’s father who passed away from COVID-19, sparking sadness and an outpouring of support. The school’s soccer team and others rallied around, she said.
At Paul Duke STEM, Wetherington said, there was also a come-together spirit as some families faced economic hardship.
“Many of our seniors wound up being the primary sources of income in their families, especially in a scenario where a single mom would get laid off,” he added.
Some worked 40-hour weeks while juggling academic requirements and “I think their character showed in that they didn’t quit school; they didn’t give up.”
Do students feel the events of 2020 took something from them?
Some may, but there’s a much vaster appreciation for the “makeup recognition work” their schools, friends, parents and others have done. And that disappointment may be tempered down the road — Gwinnett Schools and GAC are working toward a physical midsummer graduation, public health concerns permitting.
At GAC, Williams thinks the crisis has represented an exercise in personal growth.
“I think it’s taught us all to be hopeful and resilient…and to search for the good in seemingly bad situations.” ■
Annual multi-genre convention celebrating Japanese anime, American animation, comics and gaming sets new record with 59,222 attendees
— Article updated May 29, 2025
Atlanta welcomed nearly 60,000 fans of cosplay, comics, gaming, anime and music over the four-day Memorial Day weekend — all meeting up at the Georgia World Congress Center to celebrate MomoCon 2025 and its 20th year in the city.
One of the fastest growing, all-ages conventions in the country, this year’s numbers topped the 56,000 guests that attended in 2024, and was estimated by the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau to have a $42.2 million impact on the metro area.
Equally important, the buzzing enthusiasm and pure joy of the weekend, from both attendees and featured guests, was unmatched. Everyone seemed to be having an incredible time. And plans are already in the works for an even more impressive — and expanded — MomoCon experience in 2026.
Organizers say they are expanding into both Hall A and Hall B next year, increasing the total space to a massive 1,045,178 square feet for exhibits and gaming. The team is already hard at work planning amazing new guests and activities for MomoCon’s 21st year.
Registration for next year’s event is already open, with early-bird discounts for fans who want to lock their passes in early.
Giving back to the community
In addition to the money brought into the city and to the convention itself, MomoCon chooses a charity each year in which to support with donations. Funds are raised through sales of specialty merchandise and custom events that have donation elements built in.
The 2025 official charity was the Johnson STEM Activity Center. MomoCon raised more than $5,000 for the center and contributed an additional $7,500 in matching funds, bringing the total donation to $12,500. MomoCon organizers also worked with 11 Atlanta-area, youth-serving nonprofits to give back by bringing more than 900 kids in need to the convention.
Nonprofits receiving tickets this year included Scouting America, Horizons Atlanta, ReImagine ATL, the New Media Education Foundation of Georgia, Purpose Possible, Lekotek, Focus, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Atlanta, Wellroot Family Services and the YMCA.
Fan-favorite comic book artists
Comic book artists (and original members of the former Atlanta-based Gaijin Studios), Cully Hamner and Brian Stelfreeze made their first appearances at MomoCon this year, invited to attend and show off their work in the Artist Alley.
Fans lined up to meet them, along with fellow award-winning artist and longtime friend, Wade von Grawbadger, to get photos, autographs and artwork and spend a few minutes chatting with the guys.
Hamner talked briefly about an upcoming project, “Ruby Actual” that he’s doing with Greg Rucka. “Not sure when it will come out,” he said, “But we’re hoping first quarter 2026.”
In the meantime, comic fans can continue to enjoy his previous work — the acclaimed, creator-owned RED (which was adapted into two films), the current Blue Beetle (also adapted to film) and all of the other work he’s done for DC, Marvel and other publishers over the last 30 years.
They can also look forward to his return to MomoCon in the future if schedules work out.
“This has been a lot of fun,” Hamner said on Sunday, the last day of the convention. “I’d love to come back if they invite me again.”
Stelfreeze agreed. “I enjoyed [MomoCon],” he said. “I really liked seeing the younger audience.”
That definitely seemed true on Sunday, as the crowds had thinned out some and Stelfreeze had more time to hang out and talk with people who stopped by the Essential Sequential booth. With some fans, he spent ten minutes or more discussing art, comics and other topics, and even came out from behind the table at times to meet people and say hi to old friends.
Featured guests
Other featured guests also drew long lines of fans who were eager to meet their favorite creators.
Darryl McDaniels (from RunDMC and now a comic book and children’s book author), Greg Burnham (Norcross-based comic book writer known for his indie comic hits), Reed Shannon and Mick Wingert (voice actors and stars of Netflix’s “Arcane”), Ryō Horikawa (Japanese voice of Vegeta in “Dragon Ball Z”), veteran voice actor and producer, Chris Sabat, and online personalities such as Damien Haas were just a few of the standouts.
In fact, as the convention was winding down on Sunday afternoon, Haas’ fan line was still so long, the crowd filled multiple rows of the cordoned-off autograph area, both inside and outside of his designated line.
A full list of 2025 celebrity guests can be found here.
New for 2025
While most of the fun features of MomoCon 2025 were returning favorites — Artist Alley, Exhibitor’s Hall, panels, movie screenings and the cosplay showcase —convention organizers kept things fresh with a new theme (‘90s Retro) and a few new highlights, including a skating rink, an expanded online gaming area and the return of the“Bring Your Own Computer” space.
Workshops on everything from miniature painting and D&D to Gunpla modeling, as well as live performances and a massive vendor area and fan car showcase rounded out the exciting weekend.
Though tired from a whirlwind weekend of geek culture camaraderie and large (but super friendly) crowds, we can’t wait to see what MomoCon has in store for 2026.
For more about MomoCon, visit momocon.com.
More moments from 2025; photos courtesy of MomoCon
Although crime isn’t on the rise, and the Gwinnett County Police Department (GCPD) is fulfilling its role in fighting crime, the City of Peachtree Corners is asking residents, business owners and city stakeholders if they believe the city should form its own police department.
With over 100 people in attendance, City Manager Brian Johnson led the discussion about the future of policing in Peachtree Corners. He presented the findings from a survey conducted by the Center for Public Safety Management (CPSM), a nationally-recognized law enforcement consulting and training firm, as well as information about patrol officer staffing, response times, costs to tax payers and a potential timeline.
Ensuring public safety
Johnson kicked off his presentation by explaining that it is the duty of the mayor and city council to ensure public safety, including reviewing law enforcement.
“Maybe it needs to grow, maybe it needs to change its focus. But city council is the one that has the decision-making responsibility,” he said.
He was also adamant that this isn’t a done deal.
“I hit this point already, but I want to hit it again. This is the start of a conversation, a community conversation and feedback to council. There hasn’t been a decision,” he said. “Council has not received this presentation from me. They’re here to watch and learn from your feedback of this.”
Mayor Mike Mason was present at the meeting, along with all of the city council members except Eric Christ who was out of town and watching remotely.
Issues and obstacles
Johnson explained that the grounds for the inquiry were based on issues about communication, access to information and enforcement of city-specific ordinances. He cited an example where a city rule that private residences can’t be rented on a short-term basis like Vrbo or Airbnb wasn’t enforced by GCPD. An owner tried to circumvent the ordinance by only renting the outside of the house. A loud pool party ensued, and frustrated neighbors dialed 911.
“Officers showed up and they said, ‘We can’t enforce the city’s noise ordinance,’” Johnson said.
The first stage to fix this problem was creating the marshal program to bridge the gap between code enforcement and GCPD.
“[We thought] they would be able to enforce both local ordinance and state law, since they are a function of the city, and they could maybe be a force multiplier for Gwinnett since [marshals] don’t have to respond to 911 calls,” said Johnson.
But other issues arose shortly after the department was formed.
“We were still working towards getting that good balance, but we have been faced recently with a couple of things that make it harder for us,” said Johnson.
Seeking shared access
Instead of GCPD giving PTC marshals read-only, quick access to incident reports, dispatch calls and other information, the marshals department was required to file open records requests through the same process as any civilian.
“They were denied, as well as the city of Sugar Hill, [when] asked for the ability to see, not change, but see the computer-aided dispatch information, so that they would know where Gwinnett County police officers were; so that they could avoid stepping on their toes or maybe looking to support their efforts, and they haven’t been granted that,” said Johnson.
He added that the GCPD has video cameras on certain roadways that are used for various reasons, and law enforcement can use them when there’s crime in the area. Peachtree Corners marshals were denied access to those cameras.
“Conversely, we have a couple hundred cameras in the city, and we definitely want them to have access to them,” said Johnson. “So the frustration out of not being able to get that symbiosis between the marshals and police made us start thinking, all right, you know, is there another option?”
Community feedback
CPSM utilized data from GCPD to discern if Peachtree Corners could feasibly stand its own force. It also took into consideration crime trends, costs and many other factors. It recommended a 55-officer department, costing $12.1 million annually, with a $2.2 million upfront cost.
Comparing the two options to “renting vs. owning” the primary law enforcement agency in the city, Johnson presented pros and cons for each. Once the question-and-answer portion began, there was no obvious choice. Men and women, young and more advanced in age, had both similar and differing opinions.
One young man, who identified himself as a local small business owner named Alexander, argued that with artificial intelligence increasing the efficiency of administrative tasks, perhaps the city wouldn’t need a full 68-man department of civilians and sworn officers.
Some accused the city of devising a solution in need of a problem. Others were concerned that paying approximately $100,00 for a study was throwing good money after bad.
But at the end of it all, the city is continuing to seek feedback and is encouraging everyone to make informed decisions. The meeting was taped and is available on the city website along with Johnson’s PowerPoint presentation, a copy of the study done by CPSM and a survey.
As far as a timeline goes, city officials would like folks to take the summer to mull it over and come back in the fall to take another look at the proposal.
From Boardrooms to the Himalayas: Vandana’s Journey to Purpose and Growing with Intention [Podcast]
Guardians of the Jukebox to Play the VoxStage on May 31
“Geek Culture” Shines at 2025 MomoCon
Brandon Branham Honored for Transformative Leadership in Peachtree Corners
Music Matters Productions Expands Peachtree Corners Headquarters
Celebration and Community: ICAGeorgia Wraps Up School Year with Two Festive Events
Vox-Pop-Uli Launches RED Initiative for Veterans’ Support
The PCBA Awards $500 to Light Up The Corners at After-Hours Event
Vox-Pop-Uli Launches RED Initiative for Veterans’ Support
The PCBA Awards $500 to Light Up The Corners at After-Hours Event
“Geek Culture” Shines at 2025 MomoCon
Celebration and Community: ICAGeorgia Wraps Up School Year with Two Festive Events
Guardians of the Jukebox to Play the VoxStage on May 31
Music Matters Productions Expands Peachtree Corners Headquarters
Brandon Branham Honored for Transformative Leadership in Peachtree Corners
From Boardrooms to the Himalayas: Vandana’s Journey to Purpose and Growing with Intention [Podcast]
Light up the Corners [Video]
Capitalist Sage: Business Leadership in Your Community [Podcast]
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A Hunger for Hospitality
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