With only four weeks left of senior year for the class of 2024, these seniors are starting to get ready to say goodbye to their classmates for the first time in thirteen years. Emotions are flowing as they get ready for all of their ‘lasts’.
Lots of fun activities for these seniors are quickly approaching, senior prom on 5/24, last day of school on 6/5, senior barbeque on 6/6, a trip to Six Flags on 6/7, and finally, graduation on 6/13.
From the year 2011, all the way to 2024; this class has grown up together. Elementary school, middle school, to Danbury Highschool; some unbreakable bonds have been made. Which seems to be a lot of students’ biggest concern about leaving for college: having to leave their classmates of 13 years.
Senior Cate Mullin, attended King Street Elementary, Rogers Park Middle School, Danbury High School, and just recently committed to the University of Delaware. Mullin is “most worried about how my relationships might change because of distance”, which is a common stressor that seniors seem to be struggling with. Mullin is “very ambivalent about leaving my friends and teachers. I am worried the people I meet and the friends I make won’t measure up to my relationships right now.”
This is a tricky emotion for seniors to manage, as growing up with these classmates is all they have known for their whole lives. English teacher Mr. Coletti, has a tactic to help students process these emotions. He plans on having his students write graduation speeches about their experiences growing up together, speaking on teachers, classmates, core memories, and anything else they want to speak on. The students will then present these speeches in front of the whole class. Coletti says that his goal is to have the students “reflect on themselves, reflect on how much they have grown in the last year, put into perspective all that they have learned over the past 17-18 years, and share that with each other.”
Although graduating high school can be very intimidating for these students, they have bright futures ahead of them. Senior Corinne Whelchel says that “even if you are scared to do something, you have to do it; waiting until you feel ready won’t get you anywhere”, which is a wise piece of advice that lots of these students should carry with them as they head into next year. Danbury has prepared these students well, and they have such great futures ahead of them. Good luck class of 2024!
