As they posed for pictures and chatted, they were seniors in the Class of 2025.

An hour or so later, after the graduation ceremony was all done, they became part of a group of 61 new alumni.

Miller is going to study cosmetology. Bulten will become an art student.

“School is all I’ve known,” Bulten said. “I’m going to miss the familiar.”

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Caitlin Stuhrenberg, the Manson Northwest Webster district social media coordinator, works on getting the Class of 2025 into position for a group photo Sunday afternoon before the start of the graduation ceremony.

The two friends will both enroll at Iowa Central Community College.

“I’ll see Ava every day,” Miller said.

“That’s very sweet,” Bulten replied.

The two friends have known each other for almost their entire lives.

“We met in daycare,” Miller said.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Only a few minutes away from being an alumnus, Dylan Meyer, center, is all smiles at the Manson Northwest Webster Class of 2025 graduation ceremony Sunday. Meyer was one of three graduates with a 4.0 GPA. Alyssa Richman and Ella Shannon were the other two.

This year, the high school had three 4.0 graduates: Dylan Meyer, Alyssa Richman and Ella Shannon.

Richman compared the class’ time together to a clock during her remarks.

“Back in kindergarten,” she said. “The class clock began to tick. This has been a year of lasts. Last first day, last homecoming, last Christmas break, last prom and Wednesday, our last day. This is our last time together in the same room.”

She was optimistic.

“Our class clock will stop in a little while,” she said. “Your new clock starts ticking now.”

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
The Manson Northwest Webster Class of 2025 sends their caps soaring into the air Sunday afternoon after graduation ceremonies were over in the gym.

Ella Shannon recalled her years as a trip down “memory lane.”

That included a lot of “marriages” at recess in fifth grade.

“We’re not just a class but a family,” she said.

MNW Principal Kenny Shannon sent the students off with a few final thoughts.

“The MNW Class of 2025 will have a major impact on the present and on the future,” Shannon said.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Some of the Manson Northwest Webster Class of 2025 turns their tassels and looks towards their seated family at the end of their graduation ceremony Sunday afternoon.

There were a lot of wet eyes in the audience – parents, grandparents and siblings showing tears of joy.

Danielle Fitzgerald was among those. Her son, Sean Fitzgerald, was among the graduates. She looked back and found that time had indeed traveled too quickly.

“It’s so fast,” she said. “Such a short period of time. I can’t wait to watch what he does next.”

Not everyone enjoyed the graduation ceremony as much, though. One of those was Madelyn Shannon, 9. Her sister, Ella, graduated. Her dad is the principal.

“It was boring,” she said.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Steve Smothers, the custodian at Manson Northwest Webster High School, begins the process of picking up the chairs and cleaning up a generous helping of confetti.

She was also just a little sad that her sister was going to remain living at home. No new bigger room for her.

“It’s bad,” she said.

While it may not have been the most exciting time of her life, she did get to select some flowers to take home. Everyone at home would get one, she said.

Among the unsung heroes of the day was school Custodian Steve Smothers. He spent hours setting up the chairs and got to work as soon as the gym was clear picking them back up.

This year he had a new problem to deal with — the leftovers from several confetti mortars the seniors set off.

“This is my first confetti bomb,” he said. “There was lots of glitter at prom. This is new.”

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Madelyn Shannon, 9, selects a few flowers Sunday afternoon following the Manson Northwest Webster High School graduation ceremony. Her sister, Ella Shannon, graduated.