As my junior year wraps us, I’ve found myself thinking more and more about what will make my senior year the most meaningful. Watching the class of 2025 celebrate their final moments of high school this spring has given me a glimpse of the special experiences to come, but it has also made me consider what more we can do to build relationships with our peers at the end of our time here.
Senior Sunrise is one of the first significant occasions of being a senior at WHS. It brings the class together early in the year, bundled in blankets, to watch from Proctor Field as the sun rises. It’s quiet, calm, and a reminder that this moment is the beginning of the last chapter before entering the real world.
“It was a very special moment to start to spend more time with purely just our class,” senior Cora Nicolaisen said. “It really felt like a great way to begin our year, feeling more connected to one another.”
That sense of connection carries into the moments seniors share throughout the rest of the year. The Black and White Dance, for example, gives the class a night that feels entirely their own and free from the pressure of formality.
“It was our last, great dance that was just our grade. A night just for seniors, a little more relaxed than prom, and one final chance to make memories on the dance floor,” senior Whitney Summersgill said.
As the year moves toward its final months, the tone shifts to more of a bittersweet close. The senior walkout, for example, is what I think of as one of the most emotional traditions. Even as someone who hasn’t experienced it yet, I can tell it holds weight. It seems to be a full-circle moment that captures just how meaningful those simple places can be.
“It is really nice to walk out with all your classmates out to the parking lot where we all started our year,” senior Noah Silva said. “The parking lot always was a place where I found conversation and memories started.”
Then for senior athletes, that sense of finality shows up during senior nights, games dedicated to the graduating players on the team. I’ve always imagined what it would feel like to be recognized on the field or court, what it would mean to look back and realize it’s your final season playing with that team.
“Whether it is the last game or the last walk off, it is a reminder that I am not just playing for a team anymore; I’m playing for the memories,” Nicolaisen said.
Something I have always looked forward to once I reach my senior year is being allowed to leave campus for lunch and choose more flexible schedules. These changes may seem small, but I think they help mark the shift from high school to whatever comes after.
“The freedom of being able to go off campus makes the year feel different and more real,” Silva said.
While it’s important to honor the senior traditions that define our year, I believe we should also be bold and bring fresh ideas to the table. At some schools, seniors get to paint their parking spots with designs that show their personality. I think it is a creative way for students to personalize a space and showcase their class pride in a way everyone can see.
“Painting parking spots could add a new, meaningful tradition that makes our senior year stand out,” junior Bella Fleming said.
I also firmly believe that senior year should include more moments that bring people together outside of the classroom. While we did have a field trip earlier this year, I think adding more, especially ones not tied to academics, can help create shared memories that don’t revolve around tests or grades.
“As a class advisor, I’ve seen firsthand how these trips help strengthen connections,” faculty member Henry Moon said. “Expanding those experiences will give students more chances to bond, in ways schoolwork can’t..”
Simple activities, like organizing an outing on an early-release day could help seniors build stronger connections. These new opportunities to spend time together would make my senior year more memorable and bring the class closer.
“A trip to get lunch all together would be awesome and create more unity within our grade,” junior Christian Rivad said.
What all of these ideas have in common, whether long-standing traditions or new possibilities, is the goal of building community. Senior year is not just about finishing school; I believe it is about making the most of our time together, creating memories that will last after graduation.
“I think everyone is trying to capitalize on just being together,” said Nicolaisen.
As a rising senior, I haven’t had my final moments yet, but I have seen how much they mean to others. I hope our class carries on what matters while also creating space for new things that reflect who we are and what we value. I am looking forward to all the moments, big and small, that will make our final year something worth remembering.
“Senior year should be filled with laughter, reflection, and a sense of community that stays with us long after we have walked out those doors,” Fleming said.
