A Virginia high school senior visited his kindergarten teacher every year. Saturday she watched him graduate.

kAmQx H:== 766= =:<6 2 AC@F5 A2C6?E[Q D2:5 #@;@9? 367@C692?5] Qx H:== AC@323=J 36 2 4CJ:?8 >6DD 2D H6==PQ k^Am

kAm%96C6 H:== 36 >2?J C62D@?D 7@C 96C E62CD] }@E @?=J H2D |2<:29 :? #@;@9?VD G6CJ 7:CDE 4=2DD 2D 2 AF3=:4\D49@@= E62496C :? a_`_[ 3FE 96 92D <6AE FA 2 EC25:E:@? @7 G:D:E:?8 96C 2E E96 368:??:?8 2?5 6?5 @7 6G6CJ D49@@= J62C D:?46 <:?56C82CE6?[ 6G6? 2D D96 >@G65 7C@> uC656C:4<D3FC8 r:EJ D49@@=D E@ !C:?46 (:==:2> r@F?EJ[ tDD6I r@F?EJ 2?5 7:?2==J E@ $E277@C5 r@F?EJ[ H96C6 D96 :D 2DD:DE2?E AC:?4:A2= 2E $E277@C5 t=6>6?E2CJ] k^Am

kAmQ(96? x D2J 96 =@G6D E9:D H@>2?[ x >62? 96 =@G6D E9:D H@>2?[Q |2<:29VD >@>[ r9C:DDJ qFC<6[ D2:5] Qx 5@?VE 86E 9F8D =:<6 W96 8:G6D 96CXPQ k^Am

kAm$96 D2:5 |2<:29 4@??64E65 H:E9 #@;@9? :? A2CE 3642FD6 D96 H2D 9:D 7:CDE E62496C 6G6C[ 3FE 2=D@ 3642FD6 @7 E96 <:?5 @7 E62496C D96 H2D[ 6G6? 2E E96 G6CJ 368:??:?8 @7 96C 42C66C] k^Am

kAmQ$96 H2D E96 EJA6 @7 E62496C H9@ H2D DECF4EFC65 3FE H@F=5 DE:== =@G6 @? J@F[Q qFC<6 D2:5] k^Am

kAm#@;@9? D2:5 E96 DEF56?ED :? E92E 7:CDE <:?56C82CE6? 4=2DD H:== Q2=H2JD 2?5 7@C6G6CQ 36 2? :>A@CE2?E A2CE @7 96C 65F42E:@?2= 42C66C 3642FD6 E96J =62C?65 2?5 8C6H E@86E96C] k^Am

kAm$96 D2:5 D96 2=H2JD E@=5 E96 4=2DD E92E E96J H6C6 2 72>:=J] k^Am

kAmQ(6 42C6 7@C 6249 @E96C[ 2?5 H6 =@G6 2?5 AC@E64E @?6 2?@E96C] (6 42? 7:89E =:<6 72>:=J 3FE 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 52J H6 2C6 72>:=J[Q D96 E@=5 E96>] Qx C62==J >62?E E92E[ 2?5 x E9:?< H6 H6C6 23=6 E@ 244@>A=:D9 E92E H:E9:? E9@D6 7@FC H2==D]Q k^Am

kAmwF89 |6C46C t=6>6?E2CJ 2E E96 E:>6 @?=J 9@FD65 <:?56C82CE6?[ 7:CDE 2?5 D64@?5 8C256D[ D@ :E H2D 62DJ 7@C DEF56?ED 7C@> #@;@9?VD <:?56C82CE6? 4=2DD E@ 4@>6 324< 2?5 G:D:E 96C E96 ?6IE J62C] k^Am

kAmQ|@DE DEF56?ED DE@AA65 G:D:E:?8 H96? E96J 8C25F2E65 2?5 H6?E E@ {272J6EE6 &AA6C t=6>6?E2CJ $49@@=[Q #@;@9? D2:5] QqFE ?@E |2<:29j 96 <6AE E96 EC25:E:@? 8@:?8] *62C 27E6C J62C[ 96 H@F=5 4@>6 E@ G:D:E >6 H96C6G6C x H2D E6249:?8]Q k^Am

kAmqFC<6 D2:5 E96J H@F=5 ?6G6C E6== #@;@9? H96? E96J H@F=5 36 4@>:?8] ~?6 J62C[ E96J H2=<65 :?E@ {272J6EE6 &AA6C t=6>6?E2CJ 7@C E96 368:??:?8 @7 D49@@= E@ G:D:E 2?5 DE277 E@=5 E96> #@;@9? H2D?VE E96C6 2?J>@C6] k^Am

kAmQ%92E H2D 56G2DE2E:?8 E@ 9:>[Q qFC<6 C642==65] Qx E@=5 9:>[ V(6V== 7:?5 96C]V (6 H6C6 :? E96 42C 9625:?8 E@ 7@@E32== AC24E:46 2?5 96 DA6?E E96 6?E:C6 5C:G6 v@@8=:?8 E@ 7:?5 H96C6 D96 H2D 2E]Q k^Am

kAm%96J =@42E65 #@;@9? :? !C:?46 (:==:2> r@F?EJ D49@@=D 2?5 |2<:29 2D<65 9:D >@> :7 D96 4@F=5 E2<6 @77 H@C< D@ E96J 4@F=5 G:D:E] k^Am

kAm$96 5:5[ 2?5 E96J 92G6?VE >:DD65 2 G:D:E D:?46[ 6I46AE 7@C @?6 :? E96 DAC:?8 @7 a_a_ 5F6 E@ E96 A2?56>:4] k^Am

kAm#@;@9? D2:5 E96:C G:D:ED 3642>6 2 EC25:E:@? D96 =@@<65 7@CH2C5 E@ 2E E96 368:??:?8 2?5 6?5 @7 6G6CJ J62C] k^Am

kAmQw6 ?6G6C E@=5 >6 H96? 96 H2D 4@>:?8[ D@ :E H2D 2=H2JD 2 DFCAC:D6[ 3FE :E H2D 2 DFCAC:D6 x 4@F=5 4@F?E @?[Q D96 D2:5] Q(96? 96 H@F=5 4@>6[ x H@F=5 H2=< 9:> 2C@F?5[ =:<6 2 AC@F5 >@>>2[ 2?5 :?EC@5F46 9:> E@ 6G6CJ@?6]Qk^Am

kAm%96 EH@ H@F=5 E2=< 23@FE 9@H D49@@= H2D 8@:?8 7@C |2<:29] k^Am

kAmQ|2<:29 H@F=5 @A6? FA 2?5 D92C6 9:D 6IA6C:6?46D 7C@> @G6C E96 J62C] x =@G65 962C:?8 3@E9 E96 8@@5 2?5 E96 325[ 2D H6 4@F=5 2=H2JD C67=64E @? H92E 96 5:5 H6== 2?5 H92E 96 4@F=5 92G6 5@?6 36EE6C @?[Q #@;@9? D2:5] Q(96? H6 >6E 2E E96 368:??:?8 @7 E96 J62C[ x H@F=5 6?5 @FC 4@?G6CD2E:@?D H:E9 H@C5D @7 6?4@FC286>6?E 2?5 277:C>2E:@?D[ 2?5 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 J62C[ H6 H@F=5 8@ @G6C 9:D 6IA6C:6?46D 2?5 9@H E96J 96=A65 9:> 8C@H :?E@ E96 J@F?8 >2? 96 92D 364@>6]Qk^Am

kAmqFC<6 D2:5 D96 2=D@ 4@F?E65 @? #@;@9? E@ <66A 96C D@? >@E:G2E65 E@ DE:4< H:E9 9:D 8@2= @7 8@:?8 @? E@ 4@==686 2?5 A=2J:?8 7@@E32==]k^Am

kAmQx H@F=5 92G6 96C <:?5 @7 96=A >6 @FE 2?5 E6== 9:>[ V*@F <?@H[ J@F 8@EE2 5@ E9:D :7 J@F H2?E E@ 8@ E@ D49@@=[VQ qFC<6 D2:5] k^Am

kAm#@;@9? D2:5 D96 2=H2JD <?6H |2<:29 H@F=5 DF44665[ 2?5 96 92D — 96 H:== 2EE6?5 qC:586H2E6C r@==686 :? E96 72==] k^Am

kAmyFDE 2D D96 92D :>A24E65 |2<:29VD =:76[ 96 92D :>A24E65 96CD]k^Am

kAmQw6 :D 2 C6>:?56C E92E H6 2D E62496CD s~ 92G6 2? :>A24E @? @FC DEF56?EDV =:G6D[ 6G6? :7 H6 5@?VE :?:E:2==J C62=:K6 :E[Q #@;@9? D2:5] Qx 92G6 496C:D965 @FC C6=2E:@?D9:A 2?5 E96 EC25:E:@? H6 92G6 4C62E65 2?5 >2:?E2:?65 @G6C E96 =2DE `b J62CD]Qk^Am

kAm%96 3@?5D D96 7@C>D H:E9 DEF56?ED 2?5 72>:=:6D 2C6 H92E 92D <6AE 96C :? E96 7C6BF6?E=J 492==6?8:?8 65F42E:@? AC@76DD:@? 7@C `b J62CD[ D96 D2:5] k^Am

kAmQx 2=H2JD D2J J@F 42??@E 8C@H DEF56?ED F?=6DD E96J <?@H J@F 42C6 23@FE E96>[ 2?5 x 5@] w2G:?8 =2DE:?8 4@??64E:@?D H:E9 DEF56?ED =:<6 |2<:29 C6>:?5D >6 H9J x 5@ E9:D ;@3 2?5 H9J x <66A 86EE:?8 FA 6249 2?5 6G6CJ 52J 2?5 C6EFC?:?8 E@ H@C< 6249 2?5 6G6CJ J62C[Q D96 D2:5] k^Am

kAmqFC<6 D2:5 #@;@9? 92D A=2J65 2 C@=6 :? 96C D@?VD =:76 E92E ?@ @?6 6=D6 42? 7:==] k^Am

kAmQ%96C6VD ?@ @?6 E92E 6G6C 42? C6A=246 96C[Q D96 D2:5] Q}@E 2?@E96C E62496C[ ?@E 2 A2C6?E[ 2F?E[ F?4=6[ ?@E9:?8] %96C6 :D 2 DA64:2= A=246 :? 9:D 962CE 7@C 96C]Qk^Am