By Jackie Sierra '21
(The Class of 2021 at their Junior Retreat. Photo: Ms. Thea Fiatarone.)
As the end of the quarter is around the corner, so is graduation and the seniors will be saying a farewell to ICA. With their high-school career coming to a close, the seniors can say that they’ve certainly experienced challenges along the way, especially this past year due to the unexpected nature of their senior year. This is not to say that they haven’t had great memories along the way too. Through their highs and lows they’ve learned much, so they certainly have some guidance to give to the rest of the student body. Here is some advice that the seniors had to share:
Mariah Esquivel
“You have to be okay with change and let it happen especially when it comes to friendships. I know it's hard when friendships grow apart, but you can always keep the good memories you had together.”
Anonymous Senior
“Everyone says that junior year is the hardest year, but senior year is just as rough, if not, even more rough. The college application process is extremely exhausting, especially if you already have a heavy workload with AP classes and leadership. The best thing to do is to mentally prepare yourself for the hardest two years of high school by being aware that it won't be all sunshine and rainbows, choose your classes wisely (especially AP classes), and begin researching for colleges no later than junior year. It'll save you a lot of stress, headaches, and intense procrastination.”
Xaviera Alvarez
"High school is definitely NOT an easy ride. There are so many bumps and dips that'll hurt you, but I promise you that IT WILL GET BETTER! I used to believe that I wasn't going to get through the hard times in school, but something that will most definitely help you get through everything [and something that helped me] is having an amazing support system like friends and family to guide you and be there to take every step with you along the way. Just trust in yourself and you will get through your four years of high school.”
Anonymous Senior
“No problem is permanent, enjoy your four years of high school and make as many memories as you can because time FLIES.”
Anaya Strong
“My advice to the student body is take every year serious, every year counts... A lot of people say your freshman and sophomore years don’t really matter but they do. Make sure you give it your best all the time, don’t sell yourself short.”
Arianna Fernandez
“Use office hours whenever you don't understand something and never be afraid to turn in late work if the teacher lets you! Something is always better than nothing... And remember to take breaks and care of yourself mentally and physically. Don't stress yourself out too much and always just try to do what you can.”
Anonymous Senior
“Be true to yourself. Don’t sell yourself short and know your worth. Know what kind of people you want to be around and hold yourself and everyone else around you accountable for their actions. Allow yourself to grow and accept the changes happening within your life (because growth is constant).”
Arielle Magana
“It’s ok to not be ok. Sometimes you may feel alone and like you don’t know what you’re doing, but you just have to keep going and just do you. Do the best you can do because it’ll all make sense at the end, and it’ll be worth it even if it’s not what you had initially planned! You just have to trust the process because everything happens for a reason.”
Anonymous Senior
“Don’t be afraid to take risks, get out of your comfort zone, and bend some rules. We’re all going to die someday!!! Stop caring so much about what other people think and make the most of your high school experience now :)”
Julienne Cancio
“Remember to slow down & take a break. It’s so easy to get lost in a ‘go go go’ mentality and succumb to that fast-paced life. But realize that you don’t need to do everything and anything. Do what makes you happy, what sparks joy in your heart. Because the more you add on ‘busy work’ to your schedule, the less energy you have to spread out for what you’re passionate about, and most importantly you’ll have less time for taking care of yourself.”
Sincerely,
The Best Class Ever
*cue “Best Song Ever” by 1D*