Students, teachers and administrators lined the hallways of Ashley Elementary with cheers and noisemakers while more than 50 seniors from Independence High School, dressed in caps and gowns, paraded down the halls on Wednesday, June 1.
The graduating seniors weaved through the crowd of purple shirts not only to celebrate and reflect on their own journeys, but in an effort to inspire younger students to further their education.
“It’s very important for our elementary kids to see what they are working towards,” said Wendi Vaughn, principal of Ashley Elementary. “A lot of times in elementary schools, they don’t understand what graduation is, where they are going and where they are headed.”
The elementary students congratulated and high-fived the graduating seniors as they made their rounds through the pods and hallways they used to have classes in.
“There’s a lot of mixed emotions because I haven’t been here in a while,” said graduating senior from Independence High School Jonathan O’Quinn. “I am remembering a lot of things that happened here. It’s pretty cool.”
After the parade, fourth and fifth grade students gathered in the cafeteria to question the panel of graduating seniors about middle school, where to attend college, how career interests change and their favorite memories from high school.
“Stick with what you are doing, continue to fight, work hard and achieve your goals,” said O’Quinn.
Many of the graduating seniors attended Ashley Elementary, starting as second grade students in 2005-2006, the first year the school opened. They got the opportunity to reunite with several of their former teachers.
“It’s really hard to explain the emotions because in our eyes, they are still little fourth graders or fifth graders, but we are so proud to see the young men and women that they have become,” said Judy Olsen, former fourth grade teacher who now teaches fifth grade at Ashley. “You’re proud that you were able to share part of their lives for just a short period of time. You hope that somewhere along the way, maybe they will remember you again, because in our hearts, they are always going to be there.”
The soon-to-be Independence graduates also visited Comstock, Elliott, Norris and Ogle elementary schools.
Graduating IHS seniors plan to attend colleges and universities in Texas and throughout the U.S. such as Texas Christian University, University of North Carolina, University of North Texas, The University of Texas at Dallas and The University of Texas at Austin.
“Fifth graders think they’ve achieved everything,” said Olsen. “Now they are seeing kids who are going off, going to college far away, contributing to society and doing wonderful things."
Independence hopes to make the visits an annual tradition. Members of the Class of 2016 are the school’s first-ever graduates.