One of the benches outside the front entrance to the school has the name Cara McKim Seckman, Class of 2015, carved on the top two slats of the bench. The next two phrases, “Be True to Yourself” and “Go With the Flow” were two of Cara’s favorite sayings. Everyone who had the pleasure of knowing Cara and the honor of calling her a friend understands the meaning of these words. Cara was always true to her beliefs and never went along with the crowd if it was not for something in which she believed. She was even kneeled and believed in going with the flow and not making waves without there being a just cause.
Cara Seckman was a competition cheerleader for four years and was awarded the Ideal Cheerleader Award her senior year. This award speaks to who Cara was and how those two phrases encompassed her beliefs. The Ideal Cheerleader Award was voted on by her peers, who saw Cara as an example of what every young woman her age strives to be. She was a quiet leader who inspired those around her in every aspect of her life. Cara was a member of the National Honor Society and various other clubs at Walton.
Just a few weeks before graduation, Cara became ill. The diagnosis was HLH, a blood cancer that affects young people. Cara was too sick to attend her graduation, but her friends in the class of 2015 left her seat vacant for her and honored her that day. Cara passed away shortly after that. Because of the tremendous impact Cara had on those around her, Cara’s friends wanted to do something that would leave a lasting impression on the students who followed. They decided to raise money to build a bench in her honor. Before the new school was built, the bench sat inside the old building where students could hang out and wait for their parents. When the new building opened, the bench was placed, as was always the intention, outside the front doors. The dedication of the bench was August 6, 2017.
