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High school graduates from Yukon, Oklahoma go back to their roots

June 6, 20227:05 AM ET

Heard on Morning Edition

By 

Robby Korth

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Every year, graduating seniors from Yukon High School in Yukon, Okla., go back to the local elementary school for a "Senior Sendoff" with their former childhood teachers.

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STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

You know, I got a chance to attend a high-school graduation yesterday. They have this cool tradition. Instead of one graduation speaker, every graduate is invited to say a few words, and many reflected on how far they'd come. In Yukon, Okla., graduates reflect by returning to their old elementary school. StateImpact Oklahoma's Robby Korth has this report.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Over intercom) Ranchwood seniors, when you hear the music, you may start your walk.

ROBBY KORTH, BYLINE³: Graduating senior Ivan Ramirez leads his classmates in a walk through their alma mater, Ranchwood Elementary School.

IVAN RAMIREZ: I'm very excited to be the leader because I've never been a leader before.

KORTH: He was also very excited when he saw my microphone⁴.

RAMIREZ: I’m going to be on the - OK. I just want to say a huge shoutout to my mom.

(SOUNDBITE OF EDWARD ELGAR'S "POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE")

KORTH: Ramirez and his classmates at Yukon High School were sophomores⁵ when schools shut down in March 2020. The district's tradition of bringing seniors back to their elementary school was also put on hold. This year, it's finally back.

RAMIREZ: When I saw the PE gym, I was just like, wow. I was like - that was my favorite place to go.

KORTH: Another place he frequented back in the day, Principal⁶ Kristin Lipe’s office.

KRISTIN LIPE: And that little Ivan - oh, my gosh - a stinker, a stinker.

KORTH: A stinker who brings back memories of a time before masks or vaccines⁷. And seeing kids like him at this brief ceremony featuring orange juice and doughnuts means everything to Lipe, especially in the wake of the pandemic, which upended these graduates' high-school years.

LIPE: This is the reason I come and do my job every day, is to see these kids rise above a lot of different circumstances that they face and just to see them become young adults. And I can't wait to see where their journey takes them to the next stage.

KORTH: Both Lipe and Ramirez say going back and seeing some familiar faces makes life feel a little better, a little more normal. Less normal is what happened when Lipe, who spent years disciplining Ramirez, sees him for the first time.

RAMIREZ: She actually came up to me and hugged me. She recognized me. And I was like, of course she would. I was like, yeah. I knew she would recognize me. This time she was actually - she actually had a smile on her face.

(SOUNDBITE OF NOISEMAKER)

KORTH: And how could she not?

For NPR News, I'm Robby Korth in Yukon, Okla.

(SOUNDBITE OF EDWARD ELGAR'S "POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 sponsor   

vt.发起，主办；资助；n.发起者，资助人

参考例句：

• Sponsor stated they have no idea where he is.赞助方表示他们不知道他在哪儿。
• The sponsor has permanent ad on the website commonly.赞助商一般在网站上有永久性广告。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 microphone   

n.扩音器，麦克风，话筒

参考例句：

• He gave a tap at the microphone before speaking.他在讲话前先轻叩了一下扩音器。
• She behaved naturally before the microphone.她在话筒前表现自然。

5 sophomores   

n.（中等、专科学校或大学的）二年级学生( sophomore的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We are freshmen and they are sophomores. 我们是一年级学生，他们是二年级学生。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Over half the students in the course are sophomores. 听这门课的一大半是二年级学生。 来自辞典例句

6 principal   

adj.主要的；n.负责人，校长，资本

参考例句：

• When he saw the principal,he raised his hand in salutation.他看到校长时举手敬礼。
• Their school gave a reception to their new principal.他们学校为新校长举办了一个招待会。

7 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。