The Pini
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President William McKinley High School Vol. 91 No. 7
McKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
May 2013
Graduation is approaching; seniors will be missed by all by Annie Lien
For seniors, it has been a long four years, but it seems to have all passed in an instant as graduation moves closer and closer. Seniors have already begun to prepare for the graduation ceremony which will be held on May 19 at 5 p.m.. Bleachers have been placed in front of the school, and seniors have their cap and gowns ready to go. The thought of graduating brings excitement to students, but it is also a surprise for some as it seems just yesterday they were nervous freshmen trying to find their way around the school. Senior Meriam Salameh said, “It’s unreal. I can’t believe I’m graduating.” It all happened so fast, but she is looking forward to a bright future. Senior Diana Gomez said she is glad that all her hard work will have paid off. However, Senior Lei-Yen Degala feels
bittersweet about graduation. “The feeling of leaving a place where you see your friends five times a week then entering an environment where you have complete control over what you can do, going separate ways; it’s both exciting and very scary,” said Degala. Graduating from high school will give seniors more freedom. They will officially be mature adults with a long journey ahead of them. For most of their lives, they have been in school, learning and teaching one another to become who they are today. Not only have they affected each other, they have become inspirations and role models to the underclassmen as well. Maria Baryuga (9) said, “I feel sad that I won’t be able to see some of my senior friends anymore but also excited to see them graduate.” Anela Poepoe (11) made some new se-
nior friends within the past year. She said she wishes to have met them earlier because she has grown so close to many of them. “The seniors who have inspired me are the reasons why I’m even doing good in school, helping the community, and why I’m so happy all the time,” said Poepoe. After graduation, many seniors will leave behind many fond memories they have had at McKinley High School. “I’ll remember the school’s pride in its traditions and how we stood tall as McKinley tigers every day,” said Salameh. Throughout her high school years, McKinley has taught her to be herself and to do whatever makes her happy. For Gomez, McKinley has taught her to act on her best behavior and to set a great Please see GRADUATION, page 12
Photo by Michelle Peng and Peter Nerveza RS 13-0440