Courtney Conethan spotted his cousin the moment she stepped into Morse Elementary’s cafetorium Friday morning.
As he saw Tatiana Slater walk in near the front of a parade of Poughkeepsie High School seniors, each draped in a blue gown and a graduate’s cap, the first grade student’s face lit up and he waved. She broke from the line with arms spread and he jumped into her for a lengthy hug.
Slater said she knew she would see the cousin, who is more like a little brother, in the school; she just didn’t know it would be steps past the front door.
“I thought I made him cry. I started crying,” she said, welling up again. 
Dozens of soon-to-be graduates enjoyed a festive, nostalgic and, at times, emotional morning Friday during the annual Senior Walk. The Class of 2025 boarded buses and visited each school building in the district, in addition to the administration building and City Hall, where they took a group photo. At each stop, they marched the halls and were greeted by students lining up to cheer them on. There were also detours to the Krieger playground and a performance from cheerleaders at Clinton, to the delight of the seniors.For the younger students like Courtney, he agreed, seeing the senior Pioneers in cap and gown serves as inspiration to graduate, as well. For the older students, it’s a trip down memory lane. One senior left Morse in tears after a teacher gifted him a lunchbox with a unicorn on it; when he was her student, he had repeatedly told her he wanted to be a unicorn.
After the tour, the students enjoyed field day at the school’s athletic complex, complete with a barbeque lunch and a DJ. Slater, a Morse product herself, said the younger students and the school buildings made the trip a special experience.
“We went to the administration building, we walked through City Hall, I wasn’t teary or emotional,” she said. “It’s the little kids; I was just here. I remember playing on this playground. I saw my third grade teacher, I haven’t seen her since fifth grade. And my softball coach is here. I saw her and I started crying.”