2018 high school graduations at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum

Graduation season is here and high school seniors across the Coast will be walking across the stage at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum this week as they receive the diploma that closes one chapter of their lives and opens up the next.

Tonight, St. Martin High School seniors kicked off the first out of eight graduations taking place this week at the Coast Coliseum. Over 2,600 seniors are expected to walk the graduation stage over the next six days.

Coast Coliseum officials say that about 1,000 people are expected to attend each graduation ceremony.

News 25 spoke to a couple graduates who tell us the main lessons they’ve learned throughout the high school. Graduate Lyi Ahnguyen said, “It had to be definitely the friends and just learning life lessons that you usually wouldn’t learn in school.”

Graduate Kandace Chatman said, “Due dates and stay on time with everything, make sure everything is turned in, make sure you have your college stuff ready for sure.”

Coast Coliseum officials warn that traffic along Highway 90 is expected to increase through Saturday as a result of the graduations.