On the eve of graduation, these Fort Mill High seniors returned to where it all began

Former Orchard Park Elementary students who will be graduating from Fort Mill High School this weekend were invited back to their elementary alma mater for a Senior Walk and reception on Wednesday morning.

Dressed in caps and gowns, 15 Fort Mill seniors with big plans for the future paraded through the halls to high fives and cheers from the K-5 crowd.

“We invited all the students who graduated from Orchard Park Elementary School back to the halls of our building to have a Senior Walk to celebrate them as seniors but also to give our students a chance to see students in high school as they move on to their career after high school graduation,” Orchard Park principal Matthew Johnson said.

“I think it’s a great example for our students to see where they’re going. I truly believe children receive the best education because of the teacher in their classroom. Building the relationships with their teachers, teachers caring about their children and their best needs—when they do that well, children remember.”

Senior Jenna Poropatich, a future Clemson communications major with a knack for social media, said walking the halls brought back memories of her time at Orchard Park.

“It was just such a warm, welcoming environment…the level of dedication that these teachers have is just so amazing,” she said. “I’m very nostalgic…to see all the little babies cheering us on and I was once that small—it really brought me back. I thought this was very sweet of them to put together. It was thoughtful, and I really enjoyed it.”

This story was originally published May 18, 2017 at 3:54 PM with the headline "On the eve of graduation, these Fort Mill High seniors returned to where it all began."