All Good Things Must Come to an End

With this year coming to a close, you can’t help but think about what the seniors of our school must be thinking. After we come back from Winter Break, it’ll be a new year: 2026, the year of the seniors’ graduation. There are only five months left before seniors graduate in May, and now is the time for them to start reflecting and thinking about the future. Let’s hear what the class of 2026 has to say about the school, their experiences, and their reflections from the past and hopes for the future.

Senior Khaled Al Jbawi described his senior year as being “pretty chill,” stating that there isn’t too much work unless you end up with a difficult teacher. After graduation, Khaled plans to go to HCC for the first two years before transferring to UMB. His advice for underclassmen is to “go to your class, be on time, get your work done, and get a good GPA.” Even though his graduation is coming very soon, as of right now, he isn’t doing anything to prepare for the big day other than focusing on simply passing his classes. Reflecting on his time in high school, one of the ways he has changed since freshman year is that he’s become more relaxed. He said that he was angrier or irritable back in freshman year, but now, as a senior, he has calmed down and sees senior year as a new step toward college. “I feel like this is a new step. There are always new steps in life. The biggest step right now is to graduate and pass college.” Khaled credits Mr. Cutler as the teacher who had the biggest impact on him.

Senior Jamahrie Reese described his senior year as being “pretty good,” and he plans to attend college to play football after graduation. He advises underclassmen to stay focused and keep up with their work since it piles up quickly. Although senior year gives you more freedom, Jamari said it’s still challenging because, despite the freedom, there is no room to slack off. To prepare for graduation, Jamari is just focusing on getting ready mentally. Jamari added that since his freshman year, he has become more responsible and mature, and he feels “excited” knowing this is his final year. He gave a shoutout to his freshman math class teacher, Mr. Campatelli, as having the biggest impact on him. And for his message to the fellow class of 26 students, all he had to say was: “Prepare for graduation.”

Senior Camille Tehmeh described his senior year as being calmer than his junior year, though college applications still made it stressful. After graduation, he wants to study IT at a university to hopefully earn his bachelor’s degree. He also wants a job to make money on the side as well. His advice to underclassmen is to appreciate their connections and enjoy being around people their age, and obviously to stay focused on their work. In the interview, he stated, “I feel that it is important to build as many connections as you can and appreciate the connections you make because obviously after high school you probably won’t have them for that much longer.”
The hardest part of senior year for him was taking it seriously and getting out of bed, often coming to school late since he drives himself now. “The senioritis is real,” Camille said. Even though graduation is approaching soon, like most seniors, he hasn’t really done much to prepare for the upcoming day. He appreciates the “tight-knit” community, and he believes that he has matured a lot since freshman year because he sees high school as a major turning point that changes the way you view life. He stated, “I feel like the jump from middle school to high school is a crucial canon event.” Knowing that this is his last year makes him feel old and a little sad, but mostly old. Several classes have impacted him over the four years that he has been here. He liked his English class last year because of its fun community; he likes band class as well, and he is enjoying video production, believing that it will be “pretty impactful” on him. But he also added that “I feel like every class has its own specific impact.” His message to other seniors was to “lock in,” and the biggest lesson he’s learned from high school is that “A lot of people are going to be different from you, but it’s good to be able to respect and appreciate people despite their differences.”

Hopefully, our seniors who are reading this can relate to the feelings of their peers, and hopefully, any underclassmen reading can take away some helpful tips for the future.