For Local Graduates Longtime Friendships Continue
Bubbles in the foreground add color to graduates Thursday. The event was held during a sunny weather window amid weeks of rain and overcast skies. (Photos by Soren Wueth)
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 graduating class of 2026 poses for family photos at the Lion's Club park.
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".
Levi Williamson, who graduated from West, plans to go to the same college in Ireland as fellow grad Teagan Kuber, who went to South, in a fortuitous happenstance.
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 Zellmer were both part of APU's cross-country skiing program. Zellmer competes in biathalon and will head to Paul Smith's college in New York.
Nash Norwood celebrates the local the graduation parade with father Steve.
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."
(Spelling changes made to two names on 5/17/26)
Harlan Loso crosses Alyeska Highway with his father Mike during Thursday's grad parade.
Emcee Selita Rios introduced and said a few words about all 24 graduates. She said later she knows many virtually from the time they were born.
Sienna Veatch is all smiles during individual honors at the Graduation Parade.
Harlan Loso crosses Alyeska Highway with his father Mike during Thursday's grad parade.