As the school year comes to a close, the time draws near for the class of 2025 to finally graduate from MRHS. As their final days of May 20th and graduation on May 29th draw closer, seniors reflect on the memories they’ve made, starting as awkward freshmen straight out of the COVID pandemic, and slowly blossom into adults ready to enter the world.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; the journey across high school begins with an awkward and regrettable freshman year. Freshman year can be the most overwhelming– a new environment, new teachers and an overall unfamiliar experience that can leave students feeling unsure of just what exactly to do. Now at the precipice of graduation, seniors naturally think more about their first year, what they would do differently and advice they would give to their freshman selves.
“Take advantage of your opportunities. There’s a lot of new people around you, and as soon as you get to know them, [you’ll be] able to foster a better experience for the rest of your high school career,” advised senior Sean Zissu.
Despite being eager to finally escape the clutches of public education, seniors will still find a silver lining and dearly miss their high school experience.
“High school [gives] a lot of easy access to your friends, and I think a lot of fun memories come from that, like goofing off in class; that’s what I’m gonna miss most about high school,” commented senior Ragib Ahanaf.
More than just the daily routine, certain memories shine among the rest like fun moments in class, school events with friends and great teachers.
“My favorite memory from high school was winning the semifinal game of ice hockey county championships against the Wolves in my sophomore year,” recalled senior Aaron Rodgers.
Graduation is a unique milestone in that it marks the beginning of adulthood, and after four long winded years of high school, the Class of 2025 are eager to make their long-awaited walk up on the big stage. However, the feat of graduation can be hard to visualize, because of just how much culminates in the moment.
“Finally graduating is very bittersweet. I’m glad I’m able to move on to the next chapter of my life, but it’s weird leaving my life of the past four or even 12 years behind,” Zissu remarked.
Leaving public school will undoubtedly be a cathartic experience; after they get their diplomas, students are faced with an array of options in adulthood unlocked by being set loose.
“I’d definitely like to pursue my interests, like writing [and] physics. I want to keep exploring different things, achieve in college and just figure out my life a little bit,” Rodgers predicted.
Finally leaving the nest, seniors are feeling a mix of excitement, fear and nostalgia. Saying goodbye to MRHS and the life they’ve known for most of their life now may be hard, but it’s finally time. Farewell, Class of 2025.