Senior year– a pivotal milestone in a person’s life– remains a year known for its lasts. It remains students’ last year of high school, their last year of childhood, and their last memories together. It is the last big hurdle before the enigmatic future. 

Senior year symbolizes an emotional roller coaster that everyone goes along the ride for. It is a year of peaks and valleys and is bittersweet for many students. 

With senior year in its final stretch, students from the senior class of 2022 reflect upon their senior year and disclose some of high school’s unspoken topics. 

Starting off, senior, Natalie Furman recollects upon her high school expedition. With mixed emotions on graduating, Furman feels “ . . . eager to leave Poland and begin a new chapter by making new friends, seeing new things, and moving forward in life. This year was bittersweet.” 

However, at the same time, she feels a stream of sentiments coursing throughout her. Astraying from the past, Furman ponders whether or not she is ready to move on just yet. Furman, wavering between emotions, reminisces on how closing the door to high school entails leaving behind her accustomed life: 

“I am leaving behind the kids I grew up with. It is especially sad leaving the kids I have made a million memories with. Even the ones I am not the closest with will be missed– I have seen their faces every day since grade school, so it will be strange not seeing them every day,” said Furman.

Finally, Furman emphasizes the strong points in her senior year, noting that “joining Literary Magazine, along with English Festival, were the highlights of my senior year! I enjoyed all the interactions with my friends and the teachers! I, also, made new friends while doing something I enjoy . . . reading!” 

In addition, senior, Camryn Olson conversely mentions another outlook on the year winding up. 

As the year seemingly dragged on, Olson reflects on how senior year was different for her than previous years: “I am excited and ready to graduate. I am just extremely tired of school at this point in the year, and I feel that I don’t do anything in school. I would rather sleep in my bed and not go to school.” 

Last but not least, senior, Bella Morrison reflects on her final year; Morrison emphasizes the climax of her senior year: “The highlight of my year was homecoming.” 

Morrison compares senior year to previous years, concluding that this year is different because she “ . . . can’t say ‘next year’ like I did all of the other years. Also, I began to focus on myself and realize that I don’t need to be liked by everyone and that it is better to only a few close friends.”

Morrison closes off with advice for incoming high schoolers; she concluded, “My advice for freshman is to go to every football and basketball game and participate in every spirit week.”

Reveling in its lasts, with just 36 days of senior year left, it is imperative for seniors to make lasting memories while in their last year of childhood and high school. 

Senior year marks high school ending; life, beginning; the future, awaiting; but memories forever wading. 

As Hatch, a U.S Senate, eloquently declared, “Graduation is not the end; it’s the beginning.”