Thursday was a very special day for a local family.
Two members of the Hayashi family from different generations graduated from high school together.
Kobe Hayashi graduated with his class at Arroyo Grande High School, and so did his grandfather, 93-year-old Haruo Hayashi.
Haruo was a sophomore at Arroyo Grande High School when his family was taken to an internment camp in Arizona during WWII. He was later drafted to serve in the war when he was just 18.
He didn’t have a chance to walk in his own graduation because he was serving our country, but on Thursday he proved it’s never too late to go back to school.
“It’s pretty awesome. He has been my biggest fan growing up, so it is really special to share this moment with him,” said his grandson, Kobe.
Kobe plans to attend Cal Poly in the fall.
The principal handed Haruo his diploma Thursday.
If he hadn’t been serving in the war, he would have walked with the Class of 1944.
The Hayashi family owns the Hayashi Vegetable Stand in Oceano, and they’re regulars at local farmers’ markets.
Locals kept watch of the family farm while the family was in the internment camp, and the Hayashis were able to get it back when they returned after the war.
