PHOTOS: Seattle-area seniors reflect on graduating into a changed world

For Seattle-area seniors, the pandemic has upended the milestones that typically signify an end to their high school chapters.

No graduation. No prom. No last day of school.

For some, like Rodrigo Jacobo, walking across the stage held a deeper meaning -- as the first person in his family to graduate high school.

For others, like Jinsu Ha, graduation would have been the first time in almost three years that he'd see his parents.

As they finish a school year unlike any other, high school seniors share how they feel about missing the rituals that classes before them have long enjoyed.

Jinsu Ha, 18, Federal Way High School

Headed to University of Washington: Finance, accounting, economics intended major

Jinsu Ha moved to Federal Way from Seoul, South Korea, in 8th grade to live with a family friend.

"I heard a lot about different cultures, different traditions, and I never got to really actually experience them, so I decided to move somewhere to study and to expand my perspective," said Ha.

“When I came here, I didn’t really speak English," said Ha. "One of the few phrases I could speak was, 'Hi, how are you doing?' But I didn’t understand what they were saying back."

Four years later, Ha is one of six valedictorians from Federal Way's class of 2020 graduating with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

“I don’t even know how I got here," said Ha. “Sometimes I surprise myself.”

“My parents were going to come from South Korea for my graduation but they had to cancel all the flights." He hasn't seen them in almost three years.

"And then, we had to cancel all the senior trips, prom, graduation, everything," said Ha. "We didn’t even have time to say goodbye because we thought we were going to come back in April -- that was really sad."

“I don’t feel like my chapter in high school is fully ended," said Ha. "I wasn’t ready to finish it yet, but it’s somehow already over.”

Eli Nicholson, 17, Ballard High School

Headed to Corban University in Oregon: Kinesiology intended major

"I was telling my friend the other day that if my life was a book, this would be a really interesting chapter of it," said Nicholson.

“I really wanted to go to prom and graduation. I never really went to any dances or anything like that, so I was looking forward to it just for the experience."

Nicholson was looking forward to graduation, too.

"That’s what I’m going to miss or wish I had the most -- sitting with all of my peers, all together, in celebration of our work."

"I'm just gonna miss everybody."

Anisha Greene, 18, Federal Way High School

Headed to Lewis and Clark College: Political Science intended major

"The event I was looking forward to the most was competing for states in track," said Greene, who runs the 100 and 200-meter dash.

"I wasn’t able to compete my last three years because I had injuries throughout the season," she said. "So for me, it put a lot of emphasis to perform my sport and to show myself and others that I could win states."

"I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t bummed about it, but this situation is unique."

"I feel like it would be irresponsible for me to go out and hangout with friends knowing that this is a serious thing, and that people are actually dying due to this," said Greene.

"But, not being able to see them, especially right now, my senior year -- this is the last time I’ll be able to see these people. It does feel hard knowing that this is how we’re going to spend our last few months as seniors."

Leo Padua, 17, Ingraham High School | Morgen White, 18, Ballard High School

Padua headed to Washington State University: Physical Therapy intended major

White headed to Seattle Promise Program: Journalism or Interpreting intended major

“I was sad when I found out we weren’t having a prom, but this is better," said Leo Padua, from his Seattle backyard on Saturday, May 23.

The couple had their own personal prom celebration, complete with balloons, handmade corsages, paper King and Queen crowns and a carefully selected playlist.

"For me it's not the milestones, it’s just the ability to be a senior in a normal situation," said White.

"A milestone I was thinking about was just being able to leave my high school and just be like, 'this is my last day of school,'" White said. "And that day, I didn’t even know it was my last day of school."

"Just those little things are what I missed. Mostly just regretting taking some of it for granted."

"It feels like a little bit of childhood that I missed," said White. "It’s this point where you’re supposed to become an adult but it feels like it didn’t happen."

"I know it’ll happen either way," she said. "It's hard to know what I'm missing because I missed it."

"It’s mostly just an unfinished chapter that we’ll figure out how to close a different way -- at least we're unique."

Khadija Hussein, 17, Federal Way High School

Headed to Highline College & University of Washington, Bothell: Business intended major

Khadija Hussein was ready for prom months before the event itself. “I found my dress, I got everything ready, and then I heard about the pandemic,” said Hussein.

“I was like, damn, I might have to take it back," she said, referring to the dress. “I was looking forward to prom the most -- that’s one dance that everyone looks forward to their senior year.”

“For graduation, I just wanted to walk -- my mom calls it the red carpet, and I just wanted to walk for my parents to just show them that I was done with four years.”

“Because I didn’t have a walk, nobody had a spirit that I had graduated, so that part was kind of sad.”

"I got over it, with time," said Hussein. "At least I'm done, that's all that matters."

Alex Montes, 18, Ballard High School

Headed to The New School: Journalism, Photojournalism and Graphic Design intended major

"I think it’s honestly kind of cool that the class of 2020 gets to experience something that most other classes haven’t experienced because it kind of teaches us how to, like, live with ourselves and live with others in a way that we wouldn’t normally learn," Montes said.

"As for things like prom -- I’m not too sad about it because, well, I wasn’t planning on going. But also, I think those type of things to me aren’t as important as, I don’t know, just life in general and trying to figure out who I am ."

"I kind of feel at peace with how it ended. I usually do like graduations and ceremonies that signify an end to something. I guess I didn’t need something to signify that to me. Even though I know it’s over, I’m content with it."

Rodrigo Jacobo, 17, Federal Way High School

Headed to Washington State University: Management Information Systems intended major

"For me, I was the first person to graduate in my family," said Jacobo.

"I thought it was going to be like any other graduation, but it turned out to be not the same. Which I guess is okay, but I would have liked to have had a regular, normal graduation ceremony. It’s kind of disappointing."

"Ever since we left, I just feel like it’s not the same anymore."

Adyana Luna, 18, Ballard High School

Headed to Berklee College of Music: Vocalist intended major

"I spent four years of my life working towards the goal of walking across the stage to have my family in the crowd to see me graduate, and I think that’s kind of hard because I know it will not be like that," said Luna. "I think it's really sad."

"I feel like something seniors should know is, this isn’t the end -- we have so much more to go and yes, we spent so much time in high school and we’ve put so much toward this goal but there are so many other goals to be reached."

"There are so many other things to happen in our lives -- we’re so young still, we’re only 18, and there’s just so much more to go.

"I think that’s important for some seniors to hear."