Senior Assembly

Last week marked the last week for the seniors at SMA. Every year, their last day of classes in high school concludes with an all-school assembly filled with hilarious student-performed impressions of teachers in a skit. Peppered between such performances were song performances done by seniors. Several small groups sang together, and it is not uncommon for students to get terry at these sweet moments. The senior Rose Choir and Marian singers performed a song together beautifully, marking their last performance at St. Mary's. At the end of the entertaining and bittersweet assembly, Teacher Advisors read off their TA list as the seniors file up onto the stage and sit in one big group. Some teachers cried, demonstrating just how much they care for and love their students.

While this assembly is bittersweet, it is a favorite among most students. I cannot wait for my own senior assembly to get a chance to say goodbye to my entire school. Of course, graduation comes next, but the senior assembly is the final day of high school for seniors, making it memorable every year.

National Honors Scoeity Induction

This week, St. Mary's hosted several events in the evenings. One of them was the National Honors Society Induction for rising and graduating seniors, as well as the Award ceremony where scholarships, awards, and chords are awarded to seniors. These chords will then be worn on the day of graduation. Before the award ceremony, there was the National Honors Society Induction. Students, including myself, were welcomed to the stage where we were given a certificate, and a pledge to read aloud. There were almost 90 students from my junior class, which is about half. It was very exciting to be inducted among so many of my lovely peers and I couldn't be prouder to be part of such a hard-working and involved commity.

The finals days for the seniors

At this time of year, most students are looking forward to summer and hopefully some blue skies and warm weather! Thankfully, second semester finals are usually easier than first semester because many classes require projects instead of exams, which lightens the study load and makes it more manageable during the last few weeks of school when students are slightly less motivated. As a junior with many classes with seniors, I can see how excited they are to graduate, and frankly, to be done with high school. That being said, I've also conversed with many of my senior friends and have noticed how nostalgic they get at some point during the conversation.

Just recently my sister, a St. Mary's graduate, returned from her freshman year of college and attended the Spring Concert to watch me sing in the St. Mary's rose choir (the concert was a huge success), and she told me that she was moved to tears just by sitting and watching St. Mary's students sing together. She told me that while most of the girls who are graduating this year are extremely excited and ready, a part of them is already missing SMA. It is certainly a memorable experience and arguably different from most high school experiences in the country. St. Mary's is a special place where girls learn inclusivity, service, love, integrity, and the skills to be ready to take on the world. There is not a doubt in my mind that our seniors are ready to move on, despite the sadness that accompanies that change.