Senior Sunrise 2024-2025

With the crisp fall air comes the beginning of the school year. For many students, going back to school means laying down another brick, paving the way to freedom from high school. At the crest of the uphill battle, a view of former years beckons to be remembered, and seniors have no choice but to listen. They are faced with big-toothed smiles and pigtails which slowly shift into braces and slick back buns. Math concepts grow in complexity, recess games turn into lunch table conversations, and knowing everything returns as welcoming the unforeseeable when students reminisce on the scenery of their lives, a perspective they worked so diligently to experience. Suddenly, by the flash of a camera, the Walton-Verona High School’s senior class of 2025 is greeted by their last first day of school. 

Once the traditional photo is taken, cars branded by the driver’s new phase of life file into the parking lot. “Senior 2025” floods the halls by way of denim and excited conversation, harmonizing with the nostalgic school bell. Soothed by the senior symphony, a sense of calm seems to reach most seniors as if to promise a storm. A whirlwind of college applications and career certifications, participating in senior events, and soaking up any moment with friends and family is off in the distance. Fortunately, Walton-Verona students are prepared to harness the wild winds of high school.

Though the first days of high school bear various emotions each year, the last first day serves as the next exit sign for the beginning of adult life. Charlotte March is one of the numerous students on the road to adulthood. She outlines her outlook with the following words: “It’s sad, I want to be in high school forever, but I don’t. Who let me become an adult?” When asked about her first day of senior year, Annie Kunkel smiled when adding, “Good, but I want to go to college.” Others are feeling the weight of not only senior year but the many, many years before it. “I’m checked-out,” voices Gavin Vonhandorf. He is, however, hopeful for this year’s golf season as the team already won two tournaments. Exemplified by Gavin’s enthusiasm for future endeavors, the last year of high school presents students with abundant opportunities.

Seniors can combine wisdom passed to them by each teacher and produce a fruitful year, amplifying the quality of memories they are bound to make. Athletic events, theatrical productions, and community driven gatherings are sitting patiently on the calendar. August 22, 2024, was only the kickoff, as it restarted conversations interrupted by summer and brought a blanket of unity to the senior class. Captured and framed by the last first day, students’ futures are the subjects surrounded by a backdrop of what they know, developing a priceless picture of senior year.