Senior Stretch: The Last Final Weeks

Seniors at WGHS partake in the final stretch toward graduation in May. They highlight their preparation and attitude toward the impending graduation and the future ahead after high school.
​by Ansleigh Hester

Prepping for Graduation 
Anxiously and excitedly, seniors at Walnut Grove are preparing for their approaching graduation. Seniors, Benjamin Axmann and Ashlynn Chapman discuss the ways they prepare for graduation.
 
Axmann explains his process for staying consistent these final weeks before the commencement, “How I am preparing for graduation is turning my assignments in on time, checking my grades, and having a stress-free attitude,” he states knowingly. 
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Chapman compares her attitude from freshman year to now, and how her new mindset has helped her pave the way to graduation. “I feel like I’m dedicating myself more to school. Freshman year I saw school as a joke, but now I’m trying hard so I will be able to graduate,” she shares. 
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Graduating seniors are still working hard, but they are also relaxing until they walk across that stage.

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Graduation Opinions 
Seniors have a mix of emotions when it comes to graduating. Some feel excited, but others are nervous about the real world they are entering. Lily Carson details, “I’m very ready and excited to graduate. It is for sure a bittersweet feeling!” After all her hard work and determination, she is finally able to have this liberating feeling. 

Dylan Calvo agrees that it is a happy experience. “I’m happy and excited about graduation, but I’m also sad because I’m leaving people I’ve been around with for the past four years,” he informs. 
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Benjamin Axmann is very confident about his future. “I feel very good about [graduating]. I also feel excited to get out of high school and transition into college.”

Seniors Enrolled
Many seniors are enrolled in a technical school or a college after graduation. Carson is planning on going to UGA. “After graduation, I will be going to UGA starting in the fall. I’m planning to go on a pre-med track, and I’ll be working at the hospital as a CNA throughout college,” she says. Lily Carson is also a potential Valedictorian of her class. 

Bralyon Clower is also a potential Valedictorian of his class. He plans on attending Georgia Tech. “After graduation, I plan to attend Georgia Tech to study Mechanical Engineering,” he states. 
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Ashlynn Chapman plans on going to technical school. “I plan on attending a tech school and getting [Batchelor’s degree] to become a kindergarten teacher,” she mentions. Every senior has their pathway, but in the end, all who tried hard the past four years will walk across the stage and get their diploma.

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Blast to the Past
Ten years from now, when seniors look back on their senior year or past years at Walnut Grove, they have accomplishments and regrets towards their high school experience. 
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“I wish I would have applied myself more and had a better mindset my freshman and sophomore year, so I wouldn’t have to be working so hard now,” Chapman explains about her mindset towards school in the past. If she had any advice to give to other students, she would say to study hard. 

Likewise, Dylan Calvo wishes he also applied himself more. “I wish I focused more on my GPA and getting Zel Miller [scholarship],” he details. He is very proud of his progress on the soccer team, which is something he will look back on years from now. 

On the contrary, Lily Carson wishes she didn’t stress so much about school. “Honestly, the main thing that I wish I had done differently is the pressure I put on myself. I should’ve been less hard on myself and enjoyed things more without stressing,” she says.

Current Mindset
Seniors currently are being consistent with keeping their grades up, but also spending time with friends and family before they have to set off on their next journey. “To be valedictorian, I have had to work hard and challenge myself. This means sometimes staying up late, or missing out on other opportunities to make sure I push myself to be the valedictorian,” Braylon Clower concludes.