Only 35 percent of kindergarten friendships last to the third grade, according to the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. 

But for Grace Grams and Ava Fortin they are a part of that 35 percent, as they have remained close friends from kindergarten to senior year. Grams can still remember their first day together. 

“I was having a very hard time leaving my mom, so I was throwing a little bit of a tantrum and I was crying,” Grams said.“I was really upset to leave my mom and I walk into the class and the first person to walk up to me was Ava. She was very comforting. She was my very first friend after she saw me crying and made sure I was okay.” 

Grams and Fortin both attended Curé of Ars Catholic School from kindergarten to 8th grade. Grams went to St. Teresa’s for her freshman year, but then transferred to Miege for her sophomore year where Fortin was attending school. They both now plan to remain in touch at the University of Kansas. 

“Ava and I will stay close because we are actually rooming together next year,” Grams said.

Grams and Fortin have gone to school together every year except their freshman year, and during that year they stayed in touch. 

“Ava invited me to hang out with all of her friends from Miege, and she was very helpful when I was struggling at St. Teresa’s,” Grams said. 

Fortin said that she looks to Grams for guidance and depends on her in many situations.

“I would be more lost in life because she just guides me in so many of my decisions, and she keeps me sane,” Fortin said.

Grams and Fortin usually don’t have any classes together but keep each other updated on what happens in their classes. 

“She gets to tell me about things that happen in her classes, and I get to tell her things that happen in my classes,” Fortin said.

Government was memorable their senior year because it was one of the very few classes Grams and Fortin had together 

“My favorite memory is just laughing super hard with her to where we can’t breathe in class,” Fortin said.

Fortin knew in ninth grade Grams was going to be someone involved in the rest of her life. 

“I think once we hit freshman year, I just knew for sure that she was someone who I was going to be friends with for the rest of my life, no matter what happened,” Fortin said.