LOUISVILLE, Ohio (WJW) — A video commemorating an Ohio high school’s graduating class is touching hearts across the country.
“We have a really small town. Everyone knows everyone. There’s a lot of ‘Leopard pride,'” said Jen Wilson, spokesperson for Louisville City Schools in Stark County, home of the Leopards.
Louisville parents, wistfully thinking of their graduating seniors, told her, “Blink and you’ll miss it.” That gave her an idea.
“There is a kind of viral TikTok trend where people start from the airport then they jump over the camera into whatever their destination is,” Wilson told FOX 8 News. “I thought, ‘That would be a really cool thing to highlight our kindergarteners jumping into graduation.'”
So Wilson recorded as some kids in the Class of 2036 jumped over her camera, explaining the video’s premise of making them instantly appear as teenagers. Then during graduation practice, she recorded Class of 2024 graduating seniors landing the jump in their caps and gowns.
“The [kindergarteners] were so confused. They thought when they jumped over my camera they would actually be teenagers,” Wilson laughed.
The video, set to Elvis Presley’s “Burning Love,” was posted to the high school principal’s Instagram page with the caption “Don’t blink!” It took off, hitting more than 23 million views worldwide as of Wednesday, according to the district’s Facebook page.
It’s been featured on Today and Wilson said she also had Inside Edition and Good Morning America on the line on Thursday morning.
“So cute! As a mom who had five kids graduate it really goes by in the blink of an eye!” wrote one commenter.
Another wrote, “Creativity at its finest! Congratulations graduates — good luck on your next path!”
Thursday was Louisville students’ last day.
“I just can’t believe it,” she said. “We just have an awesome community. We just love our kids.”