Spring has sprung, the sun is making more frequent appearances, and the school year is already drawing to a close. Some classes are already finished with their coursework, preparing for AP tests, and even taking their finals. As most students get ready to say goodbye to AHS for only the summer, the senior class is getting ready to bid it farewell for the rest of their lives. Everyone has different reactions to senior year ending and different ways of handling the stress of the future, and this senior class has been reflecting on their time in high school and transition to college over the past few months.

Each student and their families have their own ways of coping with this large transition. Felix Neeleman ‘15, expressed that since she announced that she will be attending the University of Oregon (U of O) this fall, her mother has been wanting to spend more time with her and Felix said she sees the need to be at home with her family more as well. Neeleman said that the moment everything cliqued about college was when she was exploring the U of O website and saw a panorama picture of one of the cafeterias. She said, “ I realized at that moment that I would be frequenting that very room in a few short months and that place would be familiar to me.” Neeleman hypothesizes that she will fit in better at college around people who are all just as academically inclined as she and she cannot wait to move on to her next steps in life.

Seigo Hall ‘15, has a pretty different idea of what his college life and experience will be like. He will be attending Southern Oregon University (SOU) to play soccer for them. Hall says “supposedly, student athletes where I’m going are treated like kings around campus.” He looks forward to continuing to play the sport he loves throughout college. Hall expressed how his parents have reacted to him accepting the offer to play. “ My mom has changed, she has been way more relaxed and less stressed since I know what I’m doing now” Hall said. He is impatiently awaiting the day when he gets to move down the Oregon and do what he loves with the full support of his family.

Tyler Kervella ‘15, is planning on staying a little closer to home to reach his big dreams. “I plan on going to the University of Washington (UW), majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Spanish, getting into their medical school, and becoming an internal cardiologist” Kervella said. He expressed how proud his mother is of him for making the decision of staying near her. For Kervella, the moment everything clicked was when he visited UW last week. “ I finally got the real feeling of how it would be to go there” Kervella said.

No matter the post high school plan, each senior is having the same thoughts as they get ready to put on a cap and gown. Reflecting back on life earlier in high school and beginning to imagine the future is a completely normal and expected thing for seniors. As their lives begin to progress into the final stages of transition, seniors are preparing themselves for the future. The best thing to say towards their future endeavors is: Good Luck!