I keep hearing this year was unprecedented. As true as that word is, it doesn’t begin to describe what we went through as a group. As freshmen, sophomores, and juniors count down the days till summer vacation, seniors are counting down the days until their very last day of high school.

For some seniors, this year has dragged on, and for others, it went by in the blink of an eye. Nonetheless, the fact that our last day will be soon upon us remains. If anything, I am going to miss the chance the underclassmen have to recover. I, like many others, will forge ahead and recover having new experiences as opposed to having the experiences we thought we’d have.

We stayed in full remote learning until after Spring Break when a large group of students moved into a hybrid. At that point we were so close to the finish line, the adult life for seniors was so soon to begin. Some were already planning their life in college while others were looking for work. None of us can predict what the future away from high school will look like, despite the fact we go forward onto the next chapter of our lives with more of it unmapped than previous years.

Some feel that this year was robbed from us. We didn’t get to experience the traditional senior year experience. Who is to say that the change was a bad thing? After this year the door is open for change, the possibilities of a new senior year for our peers can be anything. Our year was the restart; it was an eye-opener to many on how quickly our lives can be flipped upside down. Outside of school we have seen a multitude of scenarios that have sparked a change for the better, we haven’t gotten to where we need to be but the path is set to be blazed by those brave enough to do so. 

We have seen a big rise in the concern for students’ mental health even more than there has been. Because of distance learning, we saw a lot of hardships for people. Going to school online can be difficult. There is a disconnect that we haven’t seen before. That gap between going to school and home wasn’t there. For some, it’s been very difficult and for others, it’s been a massive help. Some students’ grades have risen, some have lowered. Some students missed out on sports and others found hobbies that bring them the joy they haven’t felt from school activities.

If anything, this experience speaks to resiliency. As we knew we could, we made situations work for us as best we could. We kept trying, we kept changing. If anything, this experience has made many of us stringer and more sure of what we can do and what we need in order to meet our goals.

So despite this year being unpredictable and crazy, we made it. It seems like yesterday we got on zoom for our first class in September, and now we will walk the stage and receive our diplomas.