The Class of 2020 is beginning their senior year, a year that will be the most memorable and busiest of all. Juggling classes, work, extracurricular activities, senior duties, a social life and college applications are all just a small part of the life of a senior at Miami High.

What excites seniors?

     Seniors are looking forward to different things. For Thais Maradiaga, it is starting the college application process and hopefully getting accepted to the universities she is applying to so she could get a better idea of what life is going to look like post-graduation.

Lucy Severo said, “I’m looking forward to the feeling of relief and accomplishment once I finish senior year.”

Miguel Zepeda-Rodriguez is most excited about the senior activities and memories that will take place this year.

Challenges

Senior year is full of challenges. For Sharon Lazzara, it’s not letting senioritis get to her and ruin her grades.

Gabriella Hernandez said, “I always have something new going on in my schedule, and it sometimes can be very hard to track time while doing so.”

Jeremyah Thompson believes his biggest challenge of the year is college applications since it is not a simple process and a lot of thinking ties into it and balancing school with life outside of it. “I still want to be able to hang out with my friends outside of school to enjoy myself and not just live in a routine,” he said.

Advice

With senior year being a long journey, some advice is much needed. Senior counselor Mr. Cuevas believes it is super important to know what your graduation requirements are.

“I have many students coming in and out of my office asking what they need to graduate and not knowing whether they have passed or failed a class. Every senior should be responsible and know their graduation requirements,” he said.

CAP counselor Ms. Puentes said, “Start college applications early! And if college isn’t the path you are going into, have a plan! It is super important to know what you are going to do after graduating, and if any senior doesn’t know what they want to do or needs assistance, it is okay. I will help them, but that all depends on the student and their willingness to talk to me.”

Emma Alonso said, “Miami High has been my home away from home for the past 3 years, and it forever will be. I wish I could just simply take Miami High with me wherever I go.”

Life after graduation

     Some seniors know what they want their future to look like. Thais Maradiaga said she will most likely go into the fall term somewhere upstate. “Although I’m not applying out-of-state, I’m most likely leaving Miami for new experiences and atmospheres,” she said.

Eleana Villalobos said, “I will definitely want to stay in Miami, since all my family is here and leaving would be scary. I do intend to attend college so I can work into the path of becoming a veterinarian.”

Jazmine Cabrera said, “I am definitely going to take a gap year. I have felt a lot on my shoulders with high school, so taking a gap year, while working at the same time, would be the best option so I can get back onto my feet and figure myself out.” She intends to go to college after, yet that’s if she decides to go. “After all, a lot can happen in a year,” she said.

On the other hand, senior Tomy Castillo, doesn’t know what life would look like after graduation. “I’ve become so used to the routine of high school that I never really have given adulthood a thought,” he said.

Changes

When it is senior year, most seniors reflect on their past and think of whether things should’ve been changed or not. Soo-Yung Navarro said she wishes she would’ve not spent time on the people she chose to be around with. “A lot of them weren’t genuine or didn’t have my best interest in mind and I feel like my high school years would’ve been better if I just steered clear of some people,” she said.

Alex Ferrer said, “For sure I wish I would’ve been more involved with clubs and maybe even a sport, instead of trying to join a club now that it is my last year and I know not much would be enjoyed.”

Jesse Gonzalez said, “I would change something I did freshman year. I didn’t take that school year as serious as I would’ve liked to. Looking back at it, I also wish I would’ve focused a little harder in some of my classes.”

On the other hand, Emma Alonso said, “I wouldn’t change anything about my past; every past event and experience has helped one way or another shape me into the person I am today.”

Getting the most out of the school year 

     All seniors have one thing they want to get out of their final year of high school. For Keilyn Delgado, it is to know how much is too much regarding her classes, commitment, and self-care.  “I believe everything is a learning experience. I want this school year to be a year where I learn something new about myself,” she said.

Donavan Torres said, “One thing I definitely want to get out of this year is exposure, I want to leave Miami High with new a new perspective on life.”

 

Soo-Yung Navarro said she wishes she would’ve not spent time on the people she chose to be around with. “A lot of them weren’t genuine or didn’t have my best interest in mind and I feel like my high school years would’ve been better if I just steered clear of some people,” she said.

Farewell MHS

With Miami High being a very unforgettable school, many seniors will miss at least one thing about this place. For Emma Alonso, it will be the spirit and the feeling of home. “Miami High has been my home away from home for the past 3 years, and it forever will be,” she said. “I wish I could just simply take Miami High with me wherever I go.”

Edwin Javier is going to miss the environment and scenery of Miami High. “It is a school that is like no other and makes me feel like I belong. I will miss being surrounded by many recognized faces and definitely my friends who have made these past years memorable.”

Nathaly Sevilla said, “The teachers I’ve had at this school, they all in some way have given me a lot of belief in myself by pushing me far into accomplishing what I want to do in life.”

Do you feel ready to go?

     As days are passing, soon will be the time to go. With that in mind, some seniors don’t feel ready to go. Melissa Magalhaes said, “Once I get the whole college application process out of the way, I will feel ready to go, but for now I am doing it all one day at a time.”

Senior Ashely Nunez said, “I’m still taking in the fact that I’m already a senior and that high school has simply gone by way too fast.”

On the other hand, senior Bryan Romero feels ready to go. “While my time in high school was amazing, I am ready for the real world and a change of pace,” he said.