LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Hundreds of Arbor View High School seniors gathered at UNLV's Thomas and Mack Center to celebrate their graduation, while also remembering a classmate whose life was cut short just weeks before the ceremony.
WATCH | Arbor View Class of 2025 honors their fallen classmate
The arena was filled with a sea of red and grey as seniors walked across the stage to receive their diplomas on Tuesday. Many graduates wore ribbons in memory of McKenzie Scott, an 18-year-old senior who was struck and killed while crossing the street in a marked crosswalk near campus just over three weeks ago.
"Although she can't be with us here today, she will always be part of Arbor View's class of 2025," Principal Duane Bickmore said during the ceremony.
Police say the driver, 37-year-old Keenan Jackson, was impaired with nearly four times the legal alcohol limit in his system.
"I feel really bad because she didn't get to make it to graduation, especially the last couple of weeks. Like she was almost there. She was going to go get her cap and gown and then she just didn't make it," Triliyah Coleman said.
The ceremony included a moment of silence to honor Scott's memory.
"I just thought like how young she is, you know, she's the same age as me. I also thought about like this can happen to anyone," Jonathan Tori Campo said.
While the graduation marked a bittersweet farewell to high school for these seniors, many expressed mixed emotions about this milestone.
"It's like overwhelming in a way because like we're excited to leave, but we also don't want to leave at the same time," Coleman said.
The tragedy has reignited calls for stronger traffic safety measures around schools, with some graduates hoping Scott's memory will influence positive change.
WATCH | Classmates of McKenzie Scott call for roadway safety changes after fatal crosswalk crash
"I definitely, we definitely need lights over the crosswalks so that it's more visible when people are crossing," Campo said.
When asked how Scott's legacy can live on, Campo added, "Just like everybody be careful when they're driving."
As these graduates prepare for their next chapters – with some planning to attend UNLV or join the Air Force – they carry with them not just their diplomas but also the memory of their classmate who couldn't be there to celebrate with them.
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