Whether attendees were graduating, staying for another year, a supportive friend or family member, all were welcome at the End of Year Celebration. Featuring an awards ceremony, inspiring speeches by student speakers, free graduation-themed mementos and multiple chocolate fountains, campus swelled with an estimated 558 event-goers.

It was the final stretch of spring quarter, and graduation season had begun. Classes were (mostly) done with and various coursework (mostly) completed, so there was no better time than late May for the End of Year Celebration, an event held in honor of all the hard work that Highline’s Running Start students have put in. 

The event took place on May 28 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. After allowing everyone time to eat dinner, things kicked off with guest speaker, Eden Storey, reminiscing on their time at Highline College. A nervous dual enrollment student whose friends all ended up going to Green River College, Storey had trouble branching out. 

They were intimidated by the prospect of having to start over with new people, but, as they recounted in their experiences on a work retreat with the Intercultural Center, “I sat next to this girl on the bus and thought ‘Should I talk to her? Is this going to be weird?’ I wasn’t going to let myself regret not doing something. Our first conversation turned into ten, and I left the retreat with more friends than I’d ever had.”

The way Storey had put themself out there is behavior that doesn’t go unnoticed on campus.

Select Running Start seniors were nominated for the Rising Star Award, a certificate that acknowledges student leadership in clubs, students who hold campus jobs, and volunteer work. Recipients were nominated by faculty and staff through an anonymous form created by the Running Start department. Among the chosen nominees were two of the ThunderWord’s staff: Lilah Nutting and Alinea Kirshenbaum, who were recognized for student leadership and engagement.

Mya Kim, a Running Start advisor for students with last names A-G, recounts his experience showing up at the End of Year Celebration, calling it “overwhelming in many ways” and “well attended.” 

Participating in the ceremony was meaningful, he believes, saying that “For the Running Start team, this is the first cohort of students that all advisors have worked with from the very beginning. Watching these students grow, overcome challenges, and accomplish many of their goals has been both meaningful and gratifying. It has been wonderful to see how far they have come since starting the program.”

This year marks the second annual End of Year Celebration, and there have been some changes made since the first one took place. Samantha Bartlett, the Running Start coordinator, had a hand in organizing the celebration and was the main creative force. 

There was a large increase in attendance, which Bartlett attributes to the chocolate fountains. “Last year we had 146 students and 110 family members. We’d had just one chocolate fountain and I got feedback [saying] that it wasn’t enough, so I got a second one. I thought of having chocolate fountains because it’s kind of bougie. [This year] We had 255 students–Building 8 was over capacity a little bit– 283 family members are my numbers, but only twelve of my volunteers signed in, so the official number is somewhere around 558.”

As well as a select few being recognized specifically for their hard work, every graduate was given a cord to wear at commencement which symbolizes their accomplishments at Highline. This was another modification of the celebration, which Bartlett defends. “Cords were only approved for seniors who were graduating with their associate’s, and I didn’t think that was fair.”

Bartlett continued, “Not everyone graduates from Highline with their associate’s and I still wanted to take those people into consideration, you know, like Engineering students who would have to take a third year of college because they have so many prerequisites. I had to request a contingency,” which is additional funds to cover unplanned expenses, “from the student government so we could cover the cost of more cords. It’s a nice touch.”

While the chocolate fountains and catering by Olive Garden were doubtlessly pull factors for many, the real appeal was coming together to honor student achievement.

Ante Sherry, a part of the Running Start Class of 2026, said, “I’m excited to see where everyone’s going. I’m excited to see the loose ends get tied up, to see the chapters finishing. It’s pretty cool.”

Indeed, the loose ends are mainly accounted for. As seniors look forward to Commencement on June 18, there are also other good things on the horizon. For some, it’s transferring to a four-year university, while for others it could be an internship, a gap year, or heading into the workforce. 

No matter what these graduates decide to do moving forward, they all share the sense of accomplishment that comes from a job well done, and will always be Highline alumni.