This past Friday, Oct. 8, the junior dinos were finally able to celebrate their Rosary Day and transition into *official* upperclasswomen. I had the privilege of chronicling these juniors’ experiences and celebrating their day along with them.

The day began with quite an unexpected twist: the rain. Dedicated ASB members arrived bright and early at 7 a.m. to wipe down the chairs, only to find that they were doing so in the midst of an ever-so-uncommon California rainstorm.

However, if the past year and a half has taught us anything, it’s that the Royals are beyond resilient. Seating for the juniors and their guests was quickly set up in the Karcher Center, while cameras and zoom calls were set up so that the rest of the school could watch them from the comfort of their dry classrooms. The rest of the dinos’ day went off without a hitch.

Mass was fantastic, and it was followed by the awarding of both the Lauri Chiaretta ‘81 Memorial Scholarship to Jade Sandoval ‘22 and the Kathleen Faley ‘77 Memorial Scholarship to Reagan Beuerlein ‘23 and Annabella Barretto ‘23.

Next came an outstanding speech from the Royal Reporter’s very own Ms. Barclay ‘94, hand picked for the honor by the juniors. She filled the speech with her usual comedy and plenty of junior class anecdotes: specifically, she marveled at their kindness, passion, and dedication to bringing her Uncrustables when they seemed to have disappeared from shelves.

The juniors then received their rings from various alumnae, excited to finally take part in such a time-honored Rosary tradition. After the ceremony, they took some pictures, said their goodbyes, and off to Disneyland they went!

I asked juniors Layla Valenzuela, Adriana Arroyo, and Bridgette Sanders about their Rosary Day experiences, hoping to encapsulate a full view of the junior experience.

Q: What was your favorite part of Rosary Day?

L: Being stalked by Katie Thomas ‘22 around the park.

A: I have two favorite moments. The first was getting my ring from Anelisa Silva ‘17. She’s always been like an older sister to me! Second was being with all of my senior friends at Disneyland. I love them so much, and being able to celebrate becoming an upperclasswoman with them was very special to me!

B: I loved watching my fellow junior sisters receive their rings from family, friends, and administrators – I was so happy to share that special memory with my family friend! Another favorite part is Ms. Barclay’s incredible speech – I feel like she really captured the essence of our class with her touching words.

Q: How many ring turns did you get?

L: I got approximately 30, although I wanted Rey from Star Wars to also turn my ring, but she was busy playing a game with some kids. It was kind of selfish of her.

A: I got about 12!

B: So far, I have had 34!

Q: If your ring were a Disneyland ride, which would it be?

L: My ring would be “Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout” because I’m having fun with it, and then all of a sudden it drops (off my finger) and scares me.

A: It would be the Matterhorn! It’s a beautiful silver and pearl color, just like the Matterhorn mountain!

B: If my ring was a ride at Disney, it would be the carousel…it is shiny, jeweled, bright, and goes round and round just like the beloved Fantasyland ride!

I can neither confirm nor deny that I was stalking Layla around Disneyland. However, I can say that, as a senior, it was amazing to be able to celebrate Rosary Day at Disneyland after a year of waiting!

The juniors’ day was undoubtedly a Rosary Day to remember, filled with loads of fun and memories to last a lifetime. Congratulations on your day, dinos!