‘We Finally Made It’ Former Classmates, Teacher Gather For ‘Class Of 2000’ Reunion

On the first day of school in 1987, Alva Bryan’s kindergarten class at Indian Trail Elementary gathered for a picture that seemed kind of silly. Celeste Stoddard, the principal at the time, arranged for the kids to wear special shirts that read “Class of 2000” as they posed with their new teacher.

Class of 2000? It sounded so futuristic, so very far away.

But those waist-high kindergarteners quickly became middle schoolers and then zipped through high school even faster. Now the smiling faces in that picture who were about to embark on their A-B-C’s are off to conquer other letters, like B.A. and B.S.

A proud mom who had taken good care of the picture (which appeared in the newspaper) made some calls and reconnected Bryan with the students for another Class of 2000 photo.

Of those still in Spokane, five will graduate from North Central High School, one will graduate from Northwest Christian, one from Mead and one from Shadle. One moved to Ritzville, Wash., and two couldn’t be reached.

Those who could gathered at the elementary school recently. As they headed down to the kindergarten classroom, the Indian Trail alumni all had the same impression: “Everything’s so small!”

Though many in the group still keep in touch, the minireunion brought back fun memories and prompted lots of sentences that started: “Do you remember when …?”

Jason Hansen and Brad Cushman remember meeting that first day in 1987 and asking each other if they wanted to be friends. They have been ever since.

Others recalled Bryan’s “peanut incentive.” Everyone started the day with four plastic peanuts, which could be revoked for bad behavior. If they ended the day with peanuts, they could cash them in for a sticker.

Bryan, now Alva Kiesbuy, was surprised to hear that her reward system had such a lasting impact. She said she also was impressed with the young adults she met.

“There’s a lot of emotion seeing them - how mature and how capable they’ve become,” said Kiesbuy, who now teaches third grade at Willard Elementary School.

“I’m impressed with what a clean-cut, forward-looking group they are.”

Hansen plans to attend Western Washington University and study industrial design. Cushman plans to go to Eastern Washington University to study biotechnology.

Annie Vingelen wants to go to Eastern and become a nurse practitioner. Ben Clarke is off to Washington State University to study economics. Sean Clark will spend two years at Spokane Falls Community College and then head off to WSU to study pharmaceuticals. Carlye Zicha will attend Boise State University and hopes to become an elementary school teacher. Adam Bassett will attend SFCC and then the Police Academy. Steve Mack works in a jewelry store, and James Lattin is off to Brigham Young University.

As they relived their elementary school days, the seniors agreed that they will breathe a huge sigh of relief come graduation. The Class of 2000 label has brought extra pressure, they said.

“We’re the first class of the millennium,” said Vingelen. “We were supposed to be the ones to turn everything around.”

There’s still time for that. But for now, before taking that next step, they will take a moment to savor where they are and congratulate themselves on how far they’ve come.

“We finally made it,” said Bassett with a smile.