Three Seniors Build Memorial for Fallen Friend

's class of 2012 graduates on Friday, and as most seniors are looking toward the future, a group of friends are making sure that no one forgets the past.

As part of their Assess Project needed for students in the International Baccalaureate Program, three seniors – Casey Cameron, Mike Gutman and Chris Harkins — built a memorial bench at to honor their friend Chris Vasiliou, who died of Vasculitis in 2008 during the summer before the boys entered high school.

Vasiliou would have graduated on Friday.

The trio unveiled the bench Saturday morning during a ceremony at SSMS, and more than 25 friends and family were there to honor Vasiliou's memory. "We're all leaving for college, and we wanted to leave something to come back to," Gutman said of the memorial.

Cameron said Vasiliou was the "craziest kid" and one-of-a-kind. "He was such a nice kid, a little sarcastic and a true friend," he said.

Harkins said he'll always remember Vasiliou's Spongebob Square Pants impersonation, as well as one summer where Vasiliou broke his arm and they spent weeks playing "Halo" on XBox while he recuperated.

Vasiliou's mother, Mary, spoke at the dedication and thanked the boys for keeping Chris' memory alive. "It means he'll never be forgotten," she said of the memorial bench. "They are the greatest bunch of kids I've ever met."