Giant Billboard Honors Graduating Dublin High Senior

DUBLIN, CA — Like many graduating seniors, Ethan McCuen of Dublin High School said goodbyes to some friends earlier than expected. He'll miss out on special senior events and a chance to walk down the aisle of his graduation ceremony, diploma in hand.

"It's weird, but at the same time, everyone's having to deal with it," he said.

Though McCuen and his classmates will be recognized with an online ceremony where graduating seniors' names will be read aloud, his family had an even bigger sendoff in mind.

McCuen's father works for Outfront Media, a company that operates digital billboards in the Bay Area and across the country. Outfront Media told employees with graduating seniors that their kids' names could be lit up on one of 20 area billboards to honor their accomplishments during the pandemic, according to Dublin Unified School District.

His parents led McCuen and his two brothers to a billboard in Berkeley under the guise that they were going to take a photo of an Outfront Media billboard that was going to be lit up with a tribute to McCuen's grandma, in honor of her 80th birthday.

"All of a sudden, I saw myself," he said. "I was like, 'What the heck?'"

While he missed out on a traditional graduation ceremony, McCuen said he was grateful that he was able to be recognized in some way. Now he's preparing for his next chapter — McCuen plans to attend Menlo College in the fall to play soccer and pursue his interest in sports management.