Summer is drawing near and sooner than not, graduation will send our beloved seniors off on their way into the next chapter in their lives. Graduation isn’t always joy and celebration, though. Let’s take a moment to cover that… what really happens during graduation time? How do seniors really feel?
I was given the opportunity to talk to many seniors this year and to get their opinions on how the school year went and their thoughts on graduation. I’m here to report that it was a lot of mixed emotions.
Many seniors were excited about moving onto the next page, being done with the gray halls of Suffield High School while others shed more than a few tears over leaving behind their friends, favorite teachers, and most importantly – their memories. The average Suffield High School senior has spent 12-13 years with this school district all the way from Kindergarten to 12th grade. 13 years is a lot of time to create memories and magical moments. To explore and experience new things. To grow as a person and as a friend and student. These students aren’t the same from when they started off here at the age of 6. They grew into the people they are now as they were able to be shaped throughout their years in the district.
Speaking with Az Eckley, they perfectly described the transition for a senior and the toll it takes, “So, to be honest, I am not excited – I’m excited to move on and go to college, but I’m really sad about leaving everything behind. There’s that aspect of “am I doing the right thing by going into this career?” so there are a lot of scary things and a lot of changes.”
Understanding that there is always going to be that sense of fear – that sense of not sure what is going to happen next – before you can find the brightness in the change, Eckley says this: “I am looking forward to the opportunities I am going to have and starting to grow my career. Also meeting new people and just being able to come back when I need to and being able to keep in touch with everyone. Change is inevitable, it happens. Just keep going. You’ll make it, I promise.”
Seniors aren’t the only ones shedding tears at the thought of moving on. Underclassmen have had their fair share of emotional encounters and final moments with their favorite seniors. Seniors this year were able to form incredible bonds with their younger counterparts, and are sad to say ‘goodbye’ as their high school career draws to an end. “I hope the seniors have fun at the college they pick and hopefully they find the career that they want and that they enjoy. We are going to miss them so much, but we all wish them luck.” responds junior, Ashley Legg
Speaking with Kai Loranger, we get a perspective on how the seniors are taking the knowledge that they will have to leave their younger classmates behind as they start their new chapter, “I met a lot of amazing people in high school and I feel like it is going to be hard to leave all of them… I’m excited to see where they go in their future.”
The end of the year is always filled with emotion from everyone in varying degrees. Underclassmen are celebrating with summer parties, seniors are celebrating graduation parties and the final stretch of their educational 13-year marathon, and teachers are excited to see the break drawing closer. But one thing everyone can agree on is that seeing the seniors start their next chapter holds a lot of mixed emotions.
But as this time brings a multitude of emotions, just remember:
“Change is inevitable, it happens. Just keep going. You’ll make it, I promise.” – Az Eckley
Senior Photo Gallery (All photos from the 2025 Spring “Spirit Games” Pep Rally):
