My name is Aspen Hubka, and I am entering Grade 12 in Edmonton, Alberta. With the Global COVID-19 Pandemic starting in early 2020, and with it still being an ongoing virus, schools and their students have been greatly affected. With classes being moved from online, to in-person, and with large class sizes, many students haven't been able to really focus on learning and test taking skills- which is a major requirement to write a diploma. Although Premier Jason Kenney made Diplomas optional for the 2021 Graduating class, they have been made mandatory for the Graduating Class of 2022- one of the most affected years of students. Our Grade 10 year was cut short, along with our Grade 11 year being half online, half offline with many school shutdowns throughout the year. With no solid future determined for what our grade 12 year will look like, and with the unease of the Delta variant spreading, I'm asking the Government and School Board officials to stand on the side of the next Graduating Class, and make diplomas for the class of 2022 optional, as they did for the graduating class of 2021.