On Tuesday, May 27, the Archie Williams senior class of 2025 held their Senior Decision Day, where students wore shirts, sweatshirts, and other merchandise sharing their plans after high school. Filled with excitement and nostalgia, the seniors gathered for pictures and videos with peers planning to attend the same colleges as them. Senior Decision Day is a popular occurrence at high schools across the U.S., and Archie Williams has been continuing the tradition for years.
Archie Williams senior Dante Stallone, who will be attending the University of Oregon next year, enjoyed Senior Decision Day because it gave him the chance to see his classmates’ next steps.
“My favorite part was seeing where everyone [was] ending up. It’s so fun to see people you haven’t seen in a while or people you went to middle school with, where they are going to go,” Dante said.
This year, the number of college applicants to U.S. colleges and universities skyrocketed 6 percent from last year, according to Forbes. As a result, some colleges became even more selective, adding stress to an already overwhelming application experience. After months of dealing with applications, acceptances, rejections, and decisions, many seniors felt relieved to finally have their plans for next year officially made.
Archie Williams senior Kaeley Sullivan, who will be attending nursing school at the University of Arizona next year, offered advice for rising seniors, reflecting on the importance of choosing the right college for you and the added pressures from other people.
“Go with your gut. When picking a school, don’t [let] people pressure you into picking a school that you are not gonna want to go to… It doesn’t really matter what your friends think; if they are truly your friends, they will be happy for you,” Kaeley said.
For the younger grades and teachers, it can feel emotional to see their seniors leave the school. While many feel excited for the seniors and their next adventure, thinking about experiencing the school next year without them can be an emotional process.
Peer Resource and Biomedical Science teacher Jenny Brown teaches many senior students and reflected on seeing their decisions each year on Senior Decision Day.
“It feels bittersweet, [but] it’s super exciting. Going through the process with [the seniors] every year and watching all of the [uncertainty] and the stress and the angst and the nervousness, and then getting to the point where people can finally foresee their future is always like a nice ray of sunshine,” Brown said.
Senior Decision Day was a meaningful way for seniors to reflect on the nostalgia of the years they spent with their classmates while also getting excited for next year and the places they will go. It served as a reminder that the year is almost over, and graduation is approaching, taking place June 12 at 4 p.m. on the baseball field.
