As seniors begin to check items off their to-do lists, each check mark is a step towards the end of their journeys at Millard Public Schools.

From finalizing college or work commitments to delivering graduation party invites, seniors are caught in a whirlwind of responsibilities.

However, amidst the chaos, they often reminisce about the time when the hardest decisions were what games to play at recess or who to sit next to at lunch.

Yet now, they have the opportunity to take a walk down memory lane as every Millard Public Schools Elementary School is holding a Senior Elementary Walk.

These walks have started in recent years, allowing elementary school alumni to walk the halls that were once theirs.

The seniors can find their old classrooms, meet with previous teachers and staff, and have the chance to speak to the elementary students about their elementary experiences and their high school experiences as well.

“This is a great way for our previous students to relive their best lives,” Harvey Oaks Principal Erin Gonzalez said.

She emphasized how meaningful it is to see former students reconnect with their roots, so they can continue to work toward making their younger selves proud.

This emotion was voiced by former Harvey Oaks student and current senior Elsa Podoll. She recognized this event’s impact.

“I thought that it would be super exciting to be able to reconnect with the people that I grew up with,” Podoll said.

For many, the event is not just about walking the halls again, but about revisiting the people and places that shaped their early years.

Although the senior walks bring back memories for MN students, another piece may also bring back memories: the 8th-grade letter.

In 8th grade, some students wrote letters to their future selves regarding their future goals, dreams, and pieces of advice for the next 4 years and beyond.

“I don’t remember exactly what I said, but I think I told myself to enjoy high school and all the experiences I could have, ” senior Lia Rilantono said.

Trying to recollect memories from elementary and middle school seems like an impossible task. However, for the seniors at Millard North, these experiences are all they can remember.

“Getting to experience life with my friends from elementary school has been super rewarding,” Podoll said.

These moments are more than nostalgic because they serve as a reminder of who they once were.

The growth and development from their first day of kindergarten to their last day of senior year is vast, and walking the same halls brings those changes into sharp focus.

Both the senior walks and the letters go hand-in-hand, serving as unique opportunities for students to reflect on the past, present, and future.

Even though graduation can be a symbol of the end, it also represents the beginning of something new for all students moving forward in their lives, no matter what the next chapter brings for them.

As they count the days till graduation, the class of 2025 takes time to honor their past while building for the future.

For every one step forward, one must take one step back and remember where it all started.