A few more weeks, and graduation night will be here for the class of 2025. Each final exam, field trip, and fun celebration is one step closer to the culminating event that will bring high school to a close for many this spring. Soon, the young children that once ran the playground hills will stride through the blue and gold gymnasium as young adults, ready to take on the world. Caps will go flying, speeches will be made, photos will be taken. But the memories that memorialize this night don’t take just a single evening to be made… they take a lifetime.
From the moment senior year begins for Carmichaels students, the air is full of something special. On the first day of school, 12th grade students are invited to get their pictures taken in front of the “Last First Day of School” sign that stands to welcome new generations of seniors each year.
Throughout the following months, teams celebrate their oldest members with unique traditions that go beyond a mere senior night.
Cheerleader Kaylee Bialko explains that the squad signs the wall of their room at the culmination of the season. Ali Jacobs, a member of the Carmichaels softball team, points out that she enjoyed the seniors’ cars being decorated by underclassmen to represent the college destination or post-high school plans for each senior. Duski Staggers, a basketball player for the Mikes, enjoyed the team’s glow-up practice where the girls experienced an illuminated night on the court.
But sports teams aren’t the only groups that recognize the accomplishments of senior members.
On the final day of band camp for Carmichaels’ marching band, the new 12th grade class is invited to spend a cathartic moment sitting onstage for “senior spotlight.” Surrounded by other peers from their grade, students share favorite stories from previous seasons and offer advice to the younger audience that sits in the seats below, awaiting their turn in the years to come.
Carmichaels’ Envirothon Team has a unique tradition that has physically been handed down through years of competitions. This tight-knit team values the leadership that each member must demonstrate to be successful but marks the special role of captain by passing on a pocket square to the next rising senior.
There are many opportunities for every Carmichaels student to get involved with his/her class and connect with peers. Senior class sponsor Mrs. Carrie Thomas tries to make every year special for the soon-to-be graduates. “I try to incorporate bonding activities for the kids throughout the year, but especially towards the end so they have a good send-off,” she explains.
In April, the senior class held a lock-in at the high school, consisting of food, games, (and very little sleep), for all to enjoy. The event typically culminates with “senior sunrise”– a symbolic way to close the event while welcoming the new futures on the horizon for each student.
Additionally, the class organized a senior skip day in March, where many students met for a breakfast outing and a relaxing day off. Senior girls also enjoyed a jeans-painting night earlier in the year where they decked out their favorite denim with true Carmichaels pride.
Of course, many of the favorite senior activities are still to come in these last weeks of school. The Elementary Walk is a sentimental trip down memory lane for seniors to greet their old teachers and inspire the future generations of graduates. This year’s senior trip is also awaited with great anticipation, as students will spend time in Universal Studios and SeaWorld, Orlando.
From elaborate trips to simple moments, the seniors of Carmichaels have made memories to cherish and have even more to look forward to. Congratulations, class of 2025!
