High School Graduation Through the Eyes of a Junior: It’s my turn to uplift our school community

Throughout my junior year, I was lucky enough to get to know many seniors: members of the Jesuit High School class of 2025. Mostly through science classes, where grades are often mixed, I developed so many new friendships. Bonded by stressful chemistry tests and worktime, which became chatting time at the lab bench in biology, these seniors became trusted confidants and loving role models for me.

Before I knew it, their graduation weekend had arrived. At the baccalaureate mass, I saw all the graduating seniors sporting their green gowns. While this made their departure tangible to me, the harshest reality check came at the “Sign of Peace”. At Jesuit, everyone gives each other hugs during the Sign of Peace at mass. Also, the seniors sit in chairs while the rest of us sit up in the bleachers. Every mass, I venture down to the chairs to hug my seniors. However, at this baccalaureate mass, I did it for the last time. It was the last time I could seek an embrace from them— either to comfort me on a bad day or to celebrate a good one.

The next day, watching the graduation ceremony imbued me simultaneously with pride and trepidation. It was bittersweet, watching my 12th grade friends cross the stage. I am endlessly proud of all they have accomplished. I know how much perseverance it takes to receive that diploma. Despite this, it was hard to watch them cross the finish line knowing I still have another few miles to run.

Witnessing graduation offered a window into my future. The seniors’ graduation was not only a needed reminder of their new and promising futures but also of mine, just one year behind.

At our last school mass, without the seniors, my class, now rising seniors, entered into the gym and filed into the seats, representative of the cyclical nature of the high school experience. By taking our seats, we also took on the role of filling their shoes.

The friendship and compassion the class of 2025 brought to the community was something I strive to embody. Their class has been a part of my entire high school experience so far, and the idea of being without them is incredibly foreign.

The hardest part about graduation was feeling left behind as the graduates move on to a new stage of their lives. However, with us, they also leave behind their legacy through their impact on our class and the rest of the students at Jesuit. As I prepare to start the upcoming school year as a senior, I hope to uplift our school community like they did.

I hope to make them proud.

Anya Kennedy is a 12th grader at Jesuit High School. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, swimming, hiking, and reading. She frequently works at a preschool, tutors, and babysits.