At the beginning of the school year, the biggest worry for most seniors was college. Where will I apply? How can I get scholarships? What will be my next steps after high school? For many, the answers to all of these concerns have come to light over these past few months. By now, a lot of colleges have responded to student applications and most seniors have some type of plan for their lives after high school.

With our last day as seniors behind us, I find myself feeling a lot of different emotions: excited, nervous, relieved. However, being a senior myself during these trying times, I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing out on some important moments of my final few weeks of high school. Since both were cancelled, without prom or graduation, I lost the ability to create such prominent memories from these events.

So, as a way for seniors to reclaim those lost memories, I think we should spend some of this time under quarantine doing things that make us happy or that will create a lasting effect. Being in quarantine has given students a lot of extra time on our hands. But like most, three months in, I’ve run out of fun things to do inside the house. So I’m turning my attention to the outside. 

I know that it can be hard to find things to do lately, seeing as how most businesses are still closed, but I’m sure there are those of us who still want to get out of the house and have a good time. Also, with the start of college quickly approaching, some students will be leaving their homes behind, moving out of Columbia or even Maryland. Being a little short on time, we seniors should start making our final meaningful memories before college with our friends and family right now. And for those who will be leaving Maryland, I think it would be nice to leave behind some sort of trace of ourselves. Though you probably will be returning to Maryland at some point, it could still be fun to make a memory and leave a mark to look back on while you’re away from home. 

Some ways students could leave their marks are by helping the community or showcasing their talents. You could plant a tree in your yard, donate to a charity of your choice, paint a mural, or create a photo collage of all your favorite things in your community. Anything that will be memorable and represents how you fit into your community counts! Get out of the house (but don’t forget to keep practicing social distancing), explore nature or do that thing that you’ve been putting off. Whether you’re looking for fun or for that last piece to add to your portfolio, anyone can participate, but especially graduating seniors. 
Remember, this challenge is meant to allow us to have fun, think outside the box, and make memories. Do something you enjoy and be a little adventurous if you can! This could be like a “thank you” gift from the seniors to our community for the past four years. So, however you choose to leave your mark, share it with your community. Take a picture and post it using the hashtag #MyOMMark.