A walk down memory lane

Handley Elementary School has started a yearly tradition to the community that no other school in La Porte County has done before. The grade school wanted to honor seniors that are graduating high school this year in a unique way that would bring back memories from their childhood before advancing forward into their adult lives.

Seniors who graduated from Handley received the opportunity to walk down the halls of their beloved elementary school one last time on Tuesday, May 22. Students wore their gradation cap and gowns as they were greeted by hundreds of smiling children and former teachers. After the walk around the school, teachers, students, and the graduates met down in the cafeteria where they were presented with snacks and drinks.

The plan came from a Facebook post about another school that participated in the same event. This gave Mrs. Schellinger, counselor, the idea to honor the former students, as well as stress the importance of graduating to the elementary school students.

“I did not expect how meaningful this would be to the teachers here at Handley. For the high school students, we thought it would give them an opportunity to shine and be recognized. It is kind of a special memory for them that they can hold in their hearts,” Upp said.

The event was a complete success with numerous graduates and most of the former teachers attending. At the end, seniors stood in front of the crowd and were able to share their future plans after high school. This gave them the chance to show the impact that their teachers had on them at an early age and showed the elementary schoolers how important it is to graduate. Ending the celebration, the seniors were able to capture the memory with photos of them and their teachers.

“It really was great seeing all my old teachers. It was fun and it gave me a chance to show what I am capable of now because of all the great influential teachers in my life. I hope every student gets a chance to experience that because it was really a great time,” Liceth Cruz, senior, said.

Although the seniors are continuing their adventure in moving forward in life, they will never forget the memories and impact their teachers had on them. Thank you to everyone who participated in the event.