In all my 17 years of life, this has by far been the best year ever. Coffee runs, shopping, football games, dances and so many great songs were essential to this year, and I would give anything to go back to the very beginning and do it all over again. Though impossible to put myself back in time, here are some tips for the juniors as they dive into their senior year.
Starting off at the very beginning, you need to be prepared for your first event of senior year: Senior Sunrise. For those of you who don’t know what Senior Sunrise is, it is when all the seniors head to the back parking lot on the first day of school with their decorated cars and take the most precious pictures before classes, most likely accompanied by a matcha or other breakfast essentials. Be sure to wear a college sweatshirt that indicates where you think you will be going. It is always fun to see if you were spot on or have changed. Senior Nahomi Saito said, “I think my college sweatshirt on Senior Sunrise was good luck! I wore a USC hoodie on the first day and I’ll be attending there this fall.”
Next, be sure to cherish all of the little things Rosary does for us, you won’t realize how much you will miss them until it hits you that you are graduating in a week. I am sure a lot of us remember some of the most fun days being the surprise KIIS-FM visits. For example, we all know and love the band “Full Circle,” and not to mention Spencer Sharbino who came and performed for us as well. Other events such as rallies, popsicle grandparents club days, the last Mater-Dei Servite game, club meetings and Rosary Day (even though it may not be your own) are what make Rosary so special and unforgettable. Senior Samantha Oskorus added, “I absolutely loved Rosary Day every year. It was so much fun going to Disneyland with my friends. I honestly feel so blessed to have a school that gave us all these opportunities to have fun once in a while.”
If I were to give another huge piece of advice, it would be to just let loose and relax. While I do state this with caution and mean it in moderation, I deeply feel that what makes senior year so special is the fact that you will not get this time back and you only live it once – so have fun and forget about the judgement of others. As an underclasswoman, I felt that I had not been so accustomed to Rosary and felt uncomfortable. But as the school does it’s very best to teach every girl, “you are wonderfully made.” So have a blast and embrace the Red & Gold Kickoff craziness, the dancing and singing in the quad, the laying it all down in Adoration and anything else that comes with this unique community because you won’t ever experience anything truly like it again.
My final suggestion would simply be to love. Tell your best friends you love them each and every chance you get. My closest friends and I are all going to different schools. With some of us being 2 hours apart and others being 1 day and 17 hours apart, you never know when you’ll get to see each other again. As a friend group who spends hours upon hours with one another, I can attest to the fact that the sisterhood Rosary helped us build is irreplaceable. Thus, I hope you take my advice and cherish one another. While you are all together, fill every room with laughter, compassion and gratitude. During your senior year, you will also make friends with a lot of girls you would not expect – this is one of the best parts! Through events like Red & Gold and Kairos, you will most likely form unfathomable friendships. It will definitely be very difficult for the Class of 2025 to all go their separate ways but comforting to know that there will always be girls cheering you on from miles away.
I cannot believe how quickly time flew. I know many of the juniors are probably in disbelief that they will be seniors. However, don’t be scared. Remember to enjoy your last first day, the little things, having fun and loving one another. I remember being a freshman and not knowing where room 211 was or even who I was having lunch with, but I have come a long way since then and you probably have too. Remember, you’ve already done it all, so now you can live it all.
