About a dozen graduating seniors at Hoover High School donned purple-and-white gowns a few days before their own graduation ceremony to walk through the halls of nearby Mark Keppel Elementary School and Eleanor Toll Middle School.
The tradition has taken place in schools across the country and strives to inspire young students who are bound to graduate from high school one day.
But for some of the soon-to-be graduates, walking through their former campuses brought tears to their eyes as they hugged old teachers and recalled old memories.
That was the case for Mary Kalfayan, who walked alongside her friend Kristina Laue.
“It was really emotional because both of us saw our old teachers,” Kalfayan said.
The two also noticed a new classroom building on campus, among other physical upgrades made since they left Mark Keppel about seven years ago.
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Hoover High School senior Ara Sukiasyan waves to Mark Keppel Elementary School kindergarten students who lined the hall to greet them on Friday, May 27, 2016. Inspired by social media, seniors from Hoover visited Keppel and Toll to inspire the younger students with the power of graduation gowns being worn by students from the 2016 graduating class. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Hoover High School senior Ara Sukiasyan, 17, points out landmarks he remembers to fellow senior Mineh Gharabedi, 18, at Mark Keppel Elementary School on Friday, May 27, 2016. Inspired by social media, seniors from Hoover visited Keppel and Toll to inspire the younger students with the power of graduation gowns being worn by students from the 2016 graduating class. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Mark Keppel Elementary School students line the stairs and balcony to greet Hoover High School seniors who walked the halls of the school to inspire the younger students to graduate on Friday, May 27, 2016. Inspired by social media, seniors from Hoover visited Keppel and Toll to inspire the younger students with the power of graduation gowns being worn by students from the 2016 graduating class. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Hoover High School seniors run and slap the hands of 5th grade students at Mark Keppel Elementary School on Friday, May 27, 2016. Inspired by social media, seniors from Hoover visited Keppel and Toll to inspire the younger students with the power of graduation gowns being worn by students from the 2016 graduating class. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Hoover High School Principal Jennifer Earl takes a group-picture selfie with her cell phone of about 20 seniors she walked with through the halls of Mark Keppel Elementary School and Toll Middle School to inspire the youngers to finish school and graduate on Friday, May 27, 2016. Inspired by social media, seniors from Hoover visited Keppel and Toll to inspire the younger students with the power of graduation gowns being worn by students from the 2016 graduating class. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Hoover High School senior Tatiana Avedisian, 17, high fives fifth graders at Mark Keppel Elementary School on Friday, May 27, 2016. Inspired by social media, seniors from Hoover visited Keppel and Toll to inspire the younger students with the power of graduation gowns being worn by students from the 2016 graduating class. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Hoover High School seniors cross the street to Mark Keppel Elementary School and Toll Middle School on Friday, May 27, 2016. Inspired by social media, seniors from Hoover visited Keppel and Toll to inspire the younger students with the power of graduation gowns being worn by students from the 2016 graduating class. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Hoover High School seniors take cell phone photos of the kindergarten students at Mark Keppel Elementary School as they walk the halls of the school, lined with Keppel students, to inspire them to graduate on Friday, May 27, 2016. Inspired by social media, seniors from Hoover visited Keppel and Toll to inspire the younger students with the power of graduation gowns being worn by students from the 2016 graduating class. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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GUSD Senior Director of Secondary Services Deb Rinder high fives elemenary school students at Mark Keppel Elementary School on Friday, May 27, 2016. Inspired by social media, seniors from Hoover visited Keppel and Toll to inspire the younger students with the power of graduation gowns being worn by students from the 2016 graduating class. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Hoover High School Principal Jennifer Earl leads the group of about 20 seniors to walk through the halls of Mark Keppel Elementary School and Toll Middle School to inspire the youngers to finish school and graduate on Friday, May 27, 2016. Inspired by social media, seniors from Hoover visited Keppel and Toll to inspire the younger students with the power of graduation gowns being worn by students from the 2016 graduating class. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
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Hoover High School seniors posed for a group photo after walking through Mark Keppel Elementary School and Toll Middle School on Friday, May 27, 2016. Inspired by social media, seniors from Hoover visited Keppel and Toll to inspire the younger students with the power of graduation gowns being worn by students from the 2016 graduating class. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)
“This school has changed a lot, but it looks really beautiful. I’m just happy that I got to come back here,” Kalfayan said.
After visiting Keppel, the graduates marched onto the field at Toll Middle School, where the students there greeted them with hugs, high-fives and “Pomp and Circumstance” over a sound system.
“For me, it was an amazing experience,” said Haiko Kovkasyan, who attended Keppel and Toll. “I got to relive all the experiences I had growing up.”
At the end of the event, they stood on the steps at the front entrance of Toll and posed for a selfie with Hoover principal Jennifer Earl, associate principal Hagop Eulmessekian, and assistant principal Lena Richter.
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Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com
Twitter: @kellymcorrigan
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