"It'll be there forever, you know!” they say.
That didn't hold several Bearcat seniors back from getting permanent tattoos after their 18th birthday, inking arms, necks and shoulders.
Over eight 2025 seniors got their dream tattoo after they turned 18, some wanting something small and unnoticeable while others wanting their passions to overflow across shoulders and arms.
Senior Anthony Moretto’s first tattoo from Ink Lokos in San Miguel, displays a cross with two roses on his forearm representing his mom and sister with a filigree design, inspired by his dad’s tattoos.
“I got it because I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and I just thought people should know that about me,” Moretto said.
The whole process of getting his tattoo started at 10 a.m. with a cleaning of the area and stencil to pre-draw the design. It ended six hours later, with the final design.
“It wasn’t too painful,” Moretto said.
Moretto believes in the significance of having a permanent marking of something special and meaningful.
“They are very unique and have a lot of meaning to them. They are something that you can look down at and be reminded of something,” he said.
Not just at PRHS, but in his community as a whole, Moretto has seen how much tattoos represent people's personalities.
“They are a form of art, uniqueness and beauty and based on what you get and where, it impacts how people view your tattoo,” Moretto said. After a successful first tattoo, Moretto is interested in his next one being a Bible verse on his chest.
Senior Hailey Williams got her first tattoo on the back of her arm Dec. 2025. She chose a bouquet of flowers with a dragonfly flying through it.
Williams also went to Ink Lokos where they designed the tattoo for her. The memory of her grandpa inspired her to get matching tattoos with her mom and dad.
“My mom and dad and I got matching tattoos to honor my grandpa, and I just want people to know that there is a story behind my tattoo. It's not just for decoration,” she explained.
The process of getting her tattoo was quick in comparison to Moretto’s six hour process.
“It took about 45 minutes and didn't hurt at all,” Williams said.
Williams sees how meaningful tattoos can be, as she has seen her peers getting tattoos.
“If people do it right, the tattoo is a really beautiful symbol of something that is meaningful to them,” Williams said.
For both Williams and Moretto, getting their first tattoo wasn’t just permanent ink on their arm: it was a symbol of passion, love and beauty that they want to share with everyone who sees them. They are not alone in wanting to share a creative piece of themselves through this art.