Seven years after their last days of fifth grade, high school seniors returned to their childhood alma mater, Weathersfield Elementary School, Monday afternoon for the annual grad walk.
The three dozen soon-to-be graduates, wearing their caps and gowns, paraded through the Thousand Oaks campus to a raucous welcome from hundreds of Weathersfield students lining the campus walkways. The senior walk tradition takes place at all 17 of Conejo Valley Unified's elementary schools.
Before the short parade on Monday, a trio of teachers who taught this year's graduates when they were fifth graders joined the crowd and reconnected with their former students.
Some were difficult to recognize, said retired teacher Sheri Leiken, but name tags with each student's name and an elementary school photo helped.
"You look at them, and it all comes back," she said.
Most of the near-grads wore the kelly green of Thousand Oaks High School, but an assortment of other colors from Conejo Valley schools and beyond joined the mix.
Karen Magaña, who will graduate from Century Academy this year, spoke with former Weathersfield classmate Kendal Alvarenga before the parade. Alvarenga moved to Simi Valley and will graduate from Royal High School, but the two have stayed in touch.
Both reminisced about their elementary school years and remembered how far off high school graduation felt at the time. Magaña has nieces and nephews at the school, still, and said she hoped the grad walk would be an inspiration.
"I struggled a lot with school," she said. "It's a good thing to show them you can do it."
Isaiah Murtaugh covers education for the Ventura County Star in partnership with Report for America. Reach him at isaiah.murtaugh@vcstar.com or 805-437-0236 and follow him on Twitter @isaiahmurtaugh and @vcsschools. You can support this work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America.
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