Senior year: There seems to be a beginning and they say there is an end, but we are dwelling in the long, aching middle. A year made up of strained optimism, hollow encouragement, tears, triumphs, and looking at things as being part of a chapter in life that we are nearly finished with. In an attempt to reflect on this year-long collective sigh, I talked to a few friends who I have been closest to these last two years about their thoughts on this slow moving on.
Brandi: Future doctor with an amazing artistic hand.
How does it feel to know you are graduating but still coming here every day?
“I’m grateful that all the hard work has paid off. I’m super relieved to be graduating. I didn’t enjoy the high school experience. I think that in college, I will have the chance to enjoy getting an education.”Emmett: Future surgeon who desires to become multilingual.
How would you describe the feeling of having to wait for a future you can already see?
“It’s very difficult to wait for the upcoming events now that I know they are so close, but it is unavoidable. I am excited for what is coming. I am planning on moving out for college and exploring new places. Even though [college] isn’t too far from home, there are still so many new opportunities for self-growth. And I get to make new friends!”Katie: Future graphic designer and, maybe, a Disney princess.
How do you feel about having lived here your whole life and now getting the chance to leave?
“It’s an adventure, and I’ve always liked adventures. I was lucky enough to grow up in a family that travels a lot and encourages us to stretch our boundaries. I can’t wait to go, but I know this place will always be my home. It has flaws, like any place, but it also has the people I love. Really, we are all just going to find more homes.”Kayton: Future priest with a career in surf instruction on the side.
What is it like being in this “bubble” when you know the world that awaits?
“Being so close to graduation is both a blessing and a curse. I’ve never felt so accomplished knowing that I will be done soon, and that I’m finally going to be pursuing my passions as a lifestyle instead of a hobby. It definitely gets hard to wait around during school. All I can do is prepare myself for the awesomeness that’s to come.”Eric: Future business owner with eyes on street style.
What is it like knowing your future but not being able to wake up to it yet?
“I feel as if my future is dangling from a clear box in front of me like an apple guiding a mule forward. It feels so close to the eye yet so far from the hand. I feel trapped in this asylum of muted personality and useless directions.”Mandy: Future NCAA basketball star and queen of everything.
You’ve been committed to a school for basketball for a really long time. How has it been knowing for so long while waiting here?
“I am so grateful for the direction I have steered my future toward. Every now and then, I get impatient and wish my future outside of graduation would come sooner, but I remind myself that every moment prior to this has created my future. It’s important to value every day. Although, some I look forward to more than others.”
One Comment
I think this photos are really cool and I like that your friends are honest about high school. I graduated in 2015, and I can relate a looot to what they are saying. Those 4 years are not easy at all. And when they end, a big relief comes with, but also some doubts about the future and what’s going to happen and WHEN. But we have to be patient and enjoy things by day.