By Kristian Fearon ’25 and Xa’riyah Mitchell ’25
As the end of the senior’s year approaches, a blend of nostalgia, excitement, and a bit of apprehension fills the senior halls. Senior year at DHS has been a roller coaster of feelings from “OMG, it’s finally here, I’m graduating” to “Wait, it’s ending?” The rush of emotions is never-ending. But it’s not all about the sad moments; it’s also about the happy ones the seniors are taking with them and the new beginnings.
We asked a variety of students how they genuinely felt as the end of their final year at DHS is coming to an end. These seniors were Anastasia Stanias ‘24, Edens Philogene ‘24, Xiare Lappots ‘24, Diana Ladouceur ‘24, John Akter ‘24, and Jamir Person ‘24. This is what the class of 2024 students had to say.
The seniors showed a preference for 4-year colleges, but some had other plans.
AS: I plan to go to Louisiana State University to study biological sciences with a pre-med track.
EP: Figuring out what exactly I want to do for the rest of my life.
XL: I plan to go to college at a 4-year university and study civil engineering at North Carolina A&T.
DL: I plan to go to a 4-year college, Southern University, and major in speech pathology.
JA: I am planning on going to Connecticut State Community College and pursuing business management, and I will be acting over the summer, and theater.
JP: I plan on going to North Carolina A&T, and I want to get my bachelors degree in civil engineering.
In general, DHS students aren’t afraid of what’s coming next.
AS: I wouldn’t say scared, I would say just a little nervous about the next chapter, but overall I’m very excited.
EP: No, I’m not scared for the future because I know exactly what I need to do and what I should do to be prepared for the future, and I have plan B just in case things don’t work out.
XL: Of course I’m scared. I’m more scared of the lack of preparation that I have at the moment, but I am not scared of what will happen.
DL: I’m not scared to be honest, but I do have my worries, but honestly I feel as though I’ll do great in the future.
JA: Not really, my education after highschool is going to be cost free and I do work lined up for the summer. So I’m not that concerned about money per se, but I am concerned about after college and trying to, like, go into a career, that would be stressful for me. Scared right after highschool? Not really.
JP: I am not really scared personally, I’m kinda excited for the future. I take every day by day, trying to do the most I can, and I don’t really want to stress about it, but there have been times where it’s been stressful.
Seniors also advise upcoming seniors to take the year step by step.
AS: Apply early to colleges and make sure that you have everything organized, like I did a college spreadsheet. A college spreadsheet is when you put your colleges on a document with the names, the costs, if you got rejected, waitlisted… basically something to help you stay organized when deciding where you want to go. Also, just have fun your senior year, don’t try and cram everything in at the last minute.
EP: Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Having fear and putting yourself under so much pressure is just a lot. You have to understand that there [are] so many things you are going to have to worry about. Don’t add pressure about something that has not even happened yet. Why would you do that? The best advice I could tell you is take it step by step and things will become easier that way.
XL: I would say don’t lose focus. It seems easy, but you cannot lose focus because everything matters. Senior year is really the most important year.
DL: I would say just focus. I know once you become a senior, as I have personally experienced, you start to become lazy and don’t put that much effort because you know that you’re going to graduate soon, but honestly continue to put in effort because colleges like to see that. Its your last highschool transcript, colleges look at that too. So make sure you still put in that work.
JA: This is your easiest year of high school, so it is not going to be as hard to maintain that high GPA even if you are failing. It would be a lot easier to pass because this last year is not as demanding as your previous years.
JP: For upcoming seniors, I say just live your life. Make sure you do the most you can in high school because it’s going to be quick and you’re going to miss those around you now.
Finally, the seniors express how they feel about finally leaving.
AS: Yes, I am ready to leave.
EP: Hell yeah, I’m ready to get out of here!
XL: No, I don’t feel ready to leave. I wish I could stay but it’s time to leave.
DL: Indeed I do, I need to get out of here! Honestly though I feel as though my highschool experience was great.
JA: Yes I do! I’m ready to leave, I have been here for three years and I’ve done my time here. It was a really good experience, but I just have to leave and learn more outside of high school.
JP: Yes, I feel very ready to leave.
They also express their feelings about how they feel leaving high school
AS: I think I will miss certain aspects of high school, but I think overall I don’t think I’ll miss it here, but definitely different memories and different people.
EP: Hell yeah, I made a lot of memories in this building, friends, family even, and it really has become a part of who I am, and I’m going to miss that part of myself.
XL: Yeah, I’m going to miss high school but I’m ready for a new world.
DL: As I said, I feel as if my high school experience was great. In the beginning I didn’t really like Derby High School, but over time I began to like it here. I have met a lot of cool people here. So yeah, I am going to miss high school.
JA: High school has taught me a lot, there are some things that I am going to miss about this school and there are also things I’m not going to miss, but the experiences here I’m going to miss a lot.
JP: No, I am not going to miss high school.
But seniors, don’t worry about the future. Because guess what? The best part is what comes next. Whether you’re heading off to college, going into a new job, or taking some time to figure things out, the future is yours for the taking. It might be a little scary not knowing exactly what’s coming next, but we have a whole world of opportunities waiting for us out there.
So as we say goodbye to our seniors this year, let’s raise a toast to all the good times, the crazy moments, and the friendships that will never leave us. Here’s to a bright future for all of our DHS seniors. But remember, “life is like a game, and you just haven’t reached that level yet.”- Edens Philogene.
The Raider Press 