High school students participate in “Senior Walk” at Springdale Elementary School

On Tuesday, high school seniors from Lexington School District Two were able to put on their caps and gowns ahead of graduation and visit the elementary schools they once attended.

Seventeen graduating high school seniors walked the halls of Springdale Elementary School as students cheered them on with signs and screams.

Among the 17 was Airport High School Senior Sydney Evans.

“Very emotional. Um, very sad. But also happy. I had a Teacher Cadet class. I did Teacher Cadet for the 5th grade class. And it was really exciting to see all of them, but it was also really sad to see all the little kids and think about how I was once in their spot,” says Evans, who pointed out that a lot has changed since she attended Springdale.

“They did the renovations… like obviously this whole cafeteria and front office part is completely new to me, so it’s so cool to see how the school changed, and it’s newer, like, I guess my life is newer, so the school is changing with me,” Evans says.

Teachers also joined in on the action, giving hugs and high-fives to their former students who they say are all grown up now.

Retired teacher Geloris Baxley taught for over 32 years. Twenty-nine of those years were spent teaching at Springdale.

“It was emotional, but I’m so proud of every one of them. I remember the faces, all the sweet hugs. Because when I had them in 4k and 5k, those sweet hugs were the same, they’re just bigger and taller than me. I’m just so proud of these children, because there’s been so many with struggles and they’ve made it. They’ve made it. And that’s what’s amazing,” says Baxley.

She also says once she teaches a child, they’re special to her for life.

“I don’t just have them for one  year, I have them for life because they become my children. Just like some of the parents in the hallway were saying ‘I love you — you’ll always be in our hearts. You’re our family.’ And that means so much to me because they are,” Baxley says.

Evans plans to attend the University of South Carolina in the fall and major in Elementary Education before getting a Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology.

“They’re always going to be in my hearts and they’re always going to be in my family. Once I have your child, they’re mine and I treat them like my own children,” says Baxley.