For Local Graduates Longtime Friendships Continue

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

Levi Williamson and Teagan Kuber grew up together in Girdwood. For nine years, they attended the same small local school and graduated with only 14 others.

They both went to high school in Anchorage, Kuber to South and Williamson to West.

Four years later, they would find out, in October, that they would not only be going to the same school on the other side of the planet, but they would be dorming a couple walls away from each other.

"Not planned," Kuber said about his and Williamson's acceptance to University College Dublin in Ireland. "And living in an apartment next to me? Not planned."

The recent graduates huddled around a table with five others Thursday nightfollowing Girdwood's annual "Graduation Parade". 

Twenty-four seniors walked in uncharacteristic sunshine from the post office to the Community Hall. They crossed Alyeska Highway, blocked to traffic by police cars, walking in black gowns and square hats past well-wishers, parents, grandparents, former teachers, photographers and younger siblings. 

It is a graduating class intimate with shared memories.

"Every single kid (from Girdwood) I could say hi to," said Brodie Wedeking about his childhood friends when he saw them at South Anchorage High School. He said he knows all 24 of the graduates in the parade.

Wedeking is also going to have a fellow Girdwoodian on his campus. Harlan Loso will join him at the University of Utah next fall. Both skiers, they look forward to skiing Utah's famous "champagne powder". 

They also welcome the broader diversity college brings.

"Knowing everybody is great," Wedeking said. "But there'll be new perspectives."

None of the young men at the table said they plan to return to live in Alaska. Cedar Ruckel, from Indian, said he is planning a gap year to travel. And then, he shrugged, "I don't know."

Ruckel and Eli Zellner were both part of APU's cross-country skiing program. Zellner competes in biathalon and will head to Paul Smith's college in New York. 

Two of the graduates, Wedeking and Kuber, were recipients, along with Arne Nedwick, of the John and Kathy Trautner Scholarship. Each received roughly $6,500 to help pay for college expenses. 

All the seniors said they faced a future of uncertainties. One worried about AI's impact on the labor market. Another said "housing costs" could be a problem. 

But, friends all, the Girdwood graduates have each other.

"There were a lot of people I didn't know at the South graduation," Wedeking said. 

"And here I know everyone."