Senior Journal: Looking Back

We’re coming into the middle point of senior year this week I picked out some local seniors including myself, and looked back at who we were our freshman year to now and who we have grown into.

Keely a senior at Rosalia High School, “Looking back to freshman year I’ve done a complete 180. I have always been an over achieving student who though one bad grade would ruin my GPA and my life would be over. Now I’m in my second year of running start taking sophomore/ junior college level classes; I have learned it’s not so much about passing its more about learning, am I truly understanding what I’m doing or am I just doing the assignments? Just this mentality alone has changed how I view my life and others, it’s not always black and white or as simple as can be. There’s a world outside of mine and it’s okay to not do amazing every day!”

Aliviah a senior at Cheney High School said “When going to high school for the first time everyone gets scared and nervous, most students don’t know how it will be like. When I was a freshman in high school I was scared because I didn’t know if I would fit in, over the course of freshman year I became mean to people. My freshman brain thought that it would make people like me in some weird way. Even though I was scared, nervous, and mean I still managed to make friends and actually fit in. I look back and i genuinely question why I was mean, being mean doesn’t get you anywhere. I feel as I have completely changed from that freshman girl, I love being nice and making new friends whether they will last or not. Compared to then I like to say that I have grown into a nice person but each person has a different perspective of you, so I truly try to be nice to everyone and try to make their day. Because something small such as a smile can make someone’s day.”

Brooke a senior from Cheney High School explained “The difference between senior year and freshman year is so big. I’ve developed so much as a person. Simple things from my sport changing from softball to martial arts, to the bigger things like my entire change in style, personality, and perspective on life. I haven’t had the best 2 and half years but because of those experiences I have matured into the person I am today. Now I am just intrigued to see what path I’m going to go down next.

Alexis a senior from Tekoa High School talked about how “My senior year has been so different from my freshman year. When I was a freshman, I thought school was not that important, and I was new to the school. It was different and weird. During freshman year I cut my hair short and instantly regretted it but I had to try and figure out how to feel comfortable in my own body. As a freshman, you see everything so differently and as a senior, you also see it differently I was glad that freshman year I did the things she did because if she didn’t, I wouldn’t have been more prepared for my senior year.”

The senior class of 2025 is researched to have the highest graduation rate for the next few years, roughly 3.93 million 2025 graduate, the last peak in High School graduates was in 2017/18.then its projected to have a gradual decline; in 2037 it’s expected to have the same graduation rate as 2014 sitting at 3.5 million which is a substantial decline compared to 2025. The class of 2025 is actually quite special, we are the first class to be born after the IPhone, go through Covid-19 during Middle School and High School, and is said that 68% of 2025 seniors already have jobs. This being said our class has grown a lot and seen a lot. We’re up next to be making our own decisions that will affect the environment around us; it’s time to look forward and be grateful for the past.

-Keely Fournier is a student news assistant at the Cheney Free Press, High school seniors are welcome to email her information on events and activities. Her email is [email protected]