RAF DAWS HILL, England — Every senior class marches toward commencement knowing the friends and classmates of today will become the yearbook memories of tomorrow.
But few step into the post-graduation world knowing there’s really no going back — even for a visit.
That’s the case for the London Central High School class of 2007, which will celebrate its graduation ceremony on June 7 as the final class at the 56-year-old high school.
Soon after graduation, the U.S. military will turn this base in the west London suburb of High Wycombe back over to the British Ministry of Defence. The school most likely will be demolished.
“Graduating itself is definitely cool, but there’s something about being the last class ever at this school that makes it special,” said senior Tripp Floyd. “There’s been some extra responsibilities, but for the most part we’re digging it.”
The tearful goodbyes for seniors at London Central — the Department of Defense Dependents Schools’ only boarding school — will be even more heartfelt due to the unique relationship so many of the students share.
Roughly one-third of the class lives on campus in the dormitories and spends more time with classmates than they often do with family.
“There’s the dormies, and there’s the normies,” said fellow senior Tiffany Holland. “For the students in the dorms, it’s even harder to think about the end because they are so close. You become like family.”
Ivan Linatoc echoed that sentiment.
“We’ve made so many great friendships with people from literally all over the world. Even in college, it probably won’t be like this,” Linatoc said. “We all basically realize that we are not ever going to see 95 percent of these people again; the people that we spent our teens with are going to take off from here and go back all over the world.”
Tripp plans to move to South Korea with his family. Holland plans to take a gap year here in Europe while Linatoc said he plans to study physical therapy at a university in Virginia.
And Brenna Seger, who served as the corps commander for the London Central High School Air Force Junior ROTC, said she plans to attend Kansas University to pursue a career in the Air Force.
“This has been the experience of a lifetime, but there’s so much still out there,” Seger said. “I’m sad to say goodbye to so many good friends, but I’m very excited to get started with the rest of my life.”
