As one last gesture to the graduating class of 2025, the school lined the halls and cheered on the seniors as they finished up their senior year. It was a surreal moment for many seniors who looked forward to being clapped for instead of being the ones clapping. Senior McKenzie Sinai enjoyed walking around the entire school one last time.
Sinai says, “The best part about grad walk was being able to walk around the school that has been our sanctuary for the past four years and kind of share one last silent goodbye before we move on to bigger and better things.”
Senior Kali Hamilton shares a similar perspective and appreciates having her family in attendance for this moment.
“The best part about grad walk was seeing all of my family and getting to walk the school with my friends and feeling accomplished,” Hamilton says.
Family is very important to many students including senior Kendall Houghton who enjoyed her family’s pride for her.
“The best part of the grad walk was being able to see how proud my parents and family friends parents were to see me go from walking in a mini grad gown to a gown going into my future, really showing how fast life flashed before my eyes, adulthood was right around the corner,” Houghton adds.
Taking one last lap around the school was monumental as it allowed old memories to funnel back and truly set in the last four years.
“What I enjoyed most was seeing some of my old teachers or even old classrooms from freshman year and bringing back all of the memories and realizing how fast time flies,” Hamilton says.
Not only were these memories of the school and the teachers coming back, but students also were excited to share these memories with some of their friends along the way.
“What I enjoyed most about grad walk was being able to walk side by side with my closest friends and being able to see my family and current and past teachers cheer me on as I walked by,” Sinai shares.
Not only did the seniors get to walk with their friends, but also got to share this moment with their underclassmen friends who lined the halls.
“I enjoyed walking with my friends around the school the most and seeing my underclassmen friends hugging every single one of them,” shares Houghton.
This experience was very impactful to many seniors as it signified the end of a quick four years.
“The experience of the day really hit me hard, because as someone who did enjoy high school, it was sad to come to the realization that the past four years have come to an end in a blink of an eye,” Sinai says.
The most surreal feeling of all for many was how the roles were reversed. To be clapped for instead of the ones clapping felt amazing for most.
“Being the ones walking instead of the ones cheering on the graduates was definitely surreal because as I clapped for those before me in the past years, I always had the thought of “That’s going to be in a few years,” and now the day has come and it was my turn to revel in the feeling of everyone being proud of this huge milestone,” shares Sinai.
Hamilton said the grad walk was a bittersweet moment.
“It felt great, and it felt like a high and at some point made me a little emotional, knowing that at some point, I was a freshman clapping for my senior friends,” Hamilton says. “But it also made me very happy knowing that I never have to come back!”
For Houghton, she looks back to when it was her own brother she clapped for and now it is her turn all before going to college.
“I remember clapping for my brother 2 years ago and looking out for him and his friends, it didn’t feel real to now have all the attention on me and my classmates as a senior. I can’t explain in words how it made me feel, I still can’t believe that in just a few weeks I’ll be walking the stage and in just a few months I’ll be in a new state, surrounded by strangers,” Houghton says.
