As the class of 2026 prepares to leave high school and begin a new chapter, many seniors are carrying more than just their dorm essentials with them. From sentimental presents to childhood creations, these objects reflect memories, passions and relationships that shaped their high school experiences. Although each memento showcases something different, they all serve as reminders of home — and for the important people and memories that shaped them as they move forward.
KATIE HWANG – DIGITAL CAMERA
Away from her parents and surrounded only by her friends for one of the first times at a fifth-grade science camp, senior Katie Hwang got her first silver Canon digital camera, which has followed her through every stage of her life since. Originally passed down to her by her dad, the camera became more than just a way to take photos. As Hwang captured late-night cabin moments and snapshots with her friends, the camera became a way for her to preserve the memories with the people around her.
“It captured a lot of my high school memories,” Hwang said. “I use it for rallies, homecoming and other events like that, and this is something that I plan to use and bring to college with me as well.”
Among the many photos captured on the camera, Hwang especially cherishes the ones depicting moments she shares with friends, which instantly bring her back to specific memories and milestones of her high school journey.
“One of my favorite pictures is when my friend Courtney won Hoco Royalty,” Hwang said. “And at that specific football game, me, Courtney and three others posed with the finger hearts. I just love those pictures with my friends.”
Beyond the photos themselves, the camera has also become a symbol of connection within Hwang’s family. Hwang said the camera now represents a generational bond, once carrying her father’s memories, and now her own.
“My dad captured his memories on it,” Hwang said. “But I’m growing with it now. There were so many times where I captured times when I felt independent, or when I took pictures with people that maybe I’m not friends with anymore, but still, I love those memories, and the memories I made with them.”
MIYA SAKURAI – FAVORITE BIG JELLYCAT BUNNY PLUSHIE
Fluffy and friendly, senior Miya Sakurai’s memories are represented by a collection of plushies gathered throughout her senior year. Among them, the big bunny plushie from Jellycat, especially evokes the memories and comfort of her final year in high school — feelings she hopes to bring with her into college.
“The big plushie is from when my boyfriend asked me to attend his Winter Formal,” Sakurai said. “It’s special to me because I did not know he was planning on doing that at all. And we have a smaller bunny, and that’s kind of what it was based on, because he knows how much we really like that bunny.”
Over time, the stuffed animals became connected to many of the memories she made during high school. Another stuffed animal that helps her is a small penguin named Peanut, which wears a mini GAP sweatshirt that
Sakurai and her boyfriend bought, in San Francisco. Sakurai shares that these plushies will help support her as she adjusts to a new chapter in her life.
“I’ve gotten so many more stuffed animals this year,” Sakurai said. “They’re all very comforting because they hold good memories throughout my high school years. Unfortunately, I definitely won’t have space to bring the big bunny, but I’m going to college close by, so I can always come back and get it whenever I want. But for my smaller ones, I’ll take them with me to college, and they’ll help me ease my way into my new school.”
ZOE YU – ELECTRONIC WATCH
For senior Zoe Yu, an electronic watch from Anna Mimi, serves as a keepsake that reflects her personal growth throughout her high school journey. The electronic watch gifted by her parents a long time ago, remained a constant presence through her academics, swimming and other extracurricular activities.
Specifically in water polo and swimming, Yu says those activities became major parts of her identity, connecting her present experiences to her hometown and her early swimming career when she started during third-grade, which pushed her to continue to this day. Over time, the watch became meaningful during swim practices and competitions, where Yu relied on it to track lap times, motivating her to constantly improve.
“It serves as a record of my growth, from a beginner swimmer into competitive swimming,” Yu said. “Another big part of my high school life was DECA, and the watch helped me time myself when I did presentations and role plays.”
As she prepares for college, Yu emphasizes that the watch will continue serving the same purpose it always has, helping her navigate obstacles and reminding her of how far she has grown throughout high school.
“It will represent how I standardize myself using time throughout high school and also throughout my own passion,” Yu said. “Through college in the future, I will use it for more tests, for more challenges I may encounter, and I will still use that watch with the same purpose.”
ANDREW ZORKO – 3D PRINTED PYRAMID
At 10 years old, senior Andrew Zorko sat behind a 3D printing software, searching for something “cool” to create. Amongst many designs, Zorko chose to print a 3D pyramid, engraving his name and those of his three siblings on each side. For Zorko, the object symbolizes how home is defined less by a place and rather by the people closest to him — his family.
What began as a childhood memory eventually developed into a long-term passion that continues today. Zorko’s passion for 3D printing continued through his involvement in the Project Bridge Club, where mentors from the General Education Department work one-on-one with students from the Special Education Department to create passion projects together.
Beyond representing creativity and passion, the pyramid also serves as a reminder of Zorko’s family, and how they hold an important factor in his life.
“The pyramid grounds me, because your family is basically the backbone of your existence,” Zorko said. “It supports you all the time, even when anyone else might not support you; it comforts you for the same reason, and it motivates you because you want to make them proud. And I think what this will really keep reminding me of is my awesome family and just all the awesome connections that I’ve had with my family over the past many, many years of my life.”
