The school year is coming to an end, and high school has had a great emotional impact on the lives of seniors.
Seniors have spent four years learning, making friends, and creating memories. As a new chapter approaches, seniors are leaving for college, work, or taking a year off. Some may never reconnect with their friends. “The idea of losing these friends is going to be hard, but it also will show who the real friends are… the ones who still contact you are the ones who are meant to be your friends,” said Andrew Danburg, senior.
Four years of high school is a long time and provides multiple memorable moments to look back on. Events such as school trips, clubs, dances, ditch days, parties, sports, and competitions make high school memorable.
Emotions are high as seniors prepare for their high school years to end. When asked how they felt about their overall experience and how they feel about graduating, seniors had different responses: “I feel kind of empty in a way, kind of lost, a little bit more nervous than I was before, but I know I can get through it,” Danburg stated.
“My high school experience definitely had its ups and downs, but I wouldn’t replace any of my memories, good or bad,” said Sky Lynn Ward, NJROTC officer.
Stress plagues seniors as they work toward finding a college, paying for school, deciding whether they even want to go, and focusing on graduating. Fifty-two percent of seniors reported that stress affected their mental and emotional state, according to collegedata.com.
After graduating, seniors are open to multiple paths. Some may go to college, go straight into working, try out different careers to see what works for them, or try something else.
If seniors had to advise future students, they would all give different answers based on their experiences. “Be the best of who you know you can be, and don’t be afraid to talk to others,” Danburg said.
Another piece of advice from senior Miguel Mora Rodriguez: “Keep moving forward and seize the day because yeah, this isn’t the best experience, this isn’t the best school ever, but as long as you keep moving forward, as long as you keep seizing the day, maybe your years here won’t be wasted.” High school has a different effect on everybody, as we go through the highs and lows. Seniors from this year have given their sentiments as a way to help future students with their journey.
Everyone works hard to get to where they want to be, and all the stress, pain, and rough moments experienced along the way have brought these hardworking students to a point where they can finally move on to a new part of their lives.
