Welches Students Welcome Back Class of 2026 for Senior Walk

By Marie Kennedy, The Mountain Times

Hallways and breezeways at Welches School filled with cheers, signs, and high-fives June 9 as members of the Sandy High School Class of 2026 returned to their former elementary and middle school for a special Grad Walk celebration.

The event, a new tradition for the Oregon Trail School District, welcomed graduating seniors back to the schools they once attended before receiving their diplomas. At Welches, younger students lined the route, waving handmade signs and congratulating graduates as they made their way through campus in caps and gowns.

"The grad walk was a wonderful opportunity for the Welches community to celebrate its graduates," Principal Kendra Payne said. "It also provided inspiration for our younger students to aspire to the same achievement."

Payne said the event highlighted the unique connections formed in the small mountain community, where many students spend nine years attending school together.

"We loved seeing the connections between graduating seniors and their younger siblings," she said. "Staff adored being able to cheer for and see our students all grown up. At Welches, we develop uniquely close connections with our students, partly because we are a small community and partly because we have had our students with us for nine years in the K-8 model."

Clear skies allowed students to gather outside and along campus walkways.

"The weather cooperated, and students lined the halls with signs and high fives," Payne said. "They all received a Welches ribbon lei with a Wildcat pin and were reminded that Welches will always be part of them."

The school's kitchen staff joined the celebration by providing each graduate with a special cookie.

After completing the walk, graduates spent time reconnecting with teachers and visiting with current students. Some even returned to a favorite childhood activity.

"After the walk, graduates visited with teachers and even got to play on the playground with the first and second graders," Payne said.

Not every member of the graduating class had attended Welches School, but all seniors participating in the walk received a warm welcome and send-off.

Sandy High School Principal Sarah Dorn said the event was one of her favorite moments of the school year and reflected the district's shared commitment to students from kindergarten through graduation.

"This year's inaugural Grad Walk was definitely one of my highlights this year," Dorn said. "Watching our graduates walk the halls of their former schools and see past staff and future Pioneers was incredible. It's definitely a full circle moment and brings us together in our common goal."

For younger students watching from the sidelines, the event offered a glimpse of what their own future graduation day could look like. District leaders plan to continue the Grad Walk tradition in the years ahead.

"This grad walk was a wonderful experience for everyone," Payne said.