Washington High seniors return to their alma mater, Anne Sullivan Elementary School

“Pomp and Circumstance” rang through the halls for a couple minutes Tuesday morning at Anne Sullivan Elementary School, when seniors from Washington High School strolled the halls as their former teachers and future WHS graduates looked on, applauded and gave high-fives.

The festivities were part of the annual grad walk, when WHS students who attended the elementary school walk the hall in their caps and gowns, allowing the seniors to get back in the hallways they frequented years ago in elementary school and showing younger students they can graduate from WHS, too, in a few years.

Anne Sullivan Principal Nikkie Duin said the goal of this annual tradition is to instill hope in the younger students and for them to see themselves reflected in these seniors.

It’s also special to see how the graduates can walk through the school and know their hard work paid off, Duin said.

Jerry Shega, a senior at WHS, said the walk and seeing all the younger students meant a lot to her because she grew up in the elementary school. She wants her youngest peers to know that “no matter what’s going on, to always persevere.”

Kelisha Bechtold, a senior at WHS, said it felt good to see her old teachers and she was happy to show her youngest peers they’ll also graduate from the high school just down the road.

Washington High School's official graduation ceremony is 4:30 p.m. Sunday at the Sioux Falls Arena. The campus will graduate 434 students this year.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Washington High seniors revisit their elementary school to inspire youngest peers