Bittersweet memories. Proud families. Exhilarated feelings. New beginnings. On May 22, the McKinley class of 2016 said their last goodbyes to MHS.

Before the commencement ceremony, the seniors had a week of practice. The days felt endless as we sang the songs that we were performing. Yet, the feeling was irreplaceable because we would never be doing the same exact thing again.

On May 20, MHS had the Aloha Assembly. The seniors performed their songs to the entire school in the gym. The songs included Hawai’i Pono’i, Black and Gold, Alma Mater, Code of Honor, The World’s Greatest by R. Kelly and Today my Life Begins by Bruno Mars.

Before the seniors went to the gym, April Nakamura, student activities coordinator, had all the seniors close their eyes and reflect on the past 13 years of their life in school. Many students remembered the friends they made, the relationships they had, the mistakes they endured and the challenges they overcame.

On May 22, the day finally came. Some seniors were anxious and some were overly happy to finally start a new path in life. Walking out onto the front of the A building felt completely different than a typical school day. The lawn in front of the oval was filled with giant posters, balloons, confetti and a crowd of people.

Speeches were given and songs were performed, but the most memorable moment was being able to graduate with pride and tradition. The class of 2016 was lucky to graduate during the 150th year.

The ceremony concluded with a loud chant from the class of 2016.

“2000!” from the Diamond Head side of the seniors and “16!” from the Ewa side. Then we chanted “Tiger!” from the Diamond Head side and “Pride!” from the Ewa side.