Colin Powell once said, “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” Powell means that success comes from putting effort into your vision so you can grow from your failures and overcome difficult circumstances. More than ever, this past year has been so difficult for so many students, including seniors like me. But our success will come because we will work hard and use our preparation and failures to move forward to college.
Last year, we moved from in-person learning to online learning. We have had to be strong and adapt. Many underclassmen look forward to senior year. However, for seniors this year, it has been a daunting and gloomy experience because we have been unable to be seniors. Enjoying time with friends, teachers, and staff has been taken away from the graduating class of 2021. Activities like the College March, prom, senior trips, or other activities are no longer available to us. Being a senior does not feel like a special rite of passage because we are not having the full experience.
In a normal year, the BCS College March is a big event where the graduating class marches from school to the post office to send a letter of appreciation or college application and there is a big celebration and pep rally. Despite not being able to march to the post office, students were able to have a virtual College March, but it was a letdown for many of us. We expected to be celebrated, however, many of us did not feel a sense of accomplishment or belonging because it did not represent the BCS community – in our school, in our neighborhood.
As seniors, we are intelligent, assertive, and capable of accomplishing our responsibilities. But it is not the same through a screen as in person. Being able to walk past classrooms or in the hallways and seeing the faces of people we have been going to school with for the last few years is exciting and it gives a certain feeling of pride and fulfillment. Being a senior means being looked up to by other grades because we all at some point want to be seniors.
But despite all of the unpleasant parts of this year, we have to look at the bright side of the situation. All seniors are still completing their college applications and have been able to get through all of the difficult situations of this year. Furthermore, we just had senior pictures which was an activity that many of us felt made us true seniors. I was able to see some of my friends while we were waiting at the photographer studio whom I hadn’t seen in a long time and it was a moment where I felt accomplished and happy. I felt that all of the hard work I have been doing for four years had a cheerful outcome, and I have a great picture to show for it that will appear in the yearbook.
Being a senior in the pandemic has been an experience that I will never forget because of all of the negative and positive sides. I am very excited to finish this year strong with my classmates, be able to attend college, and be a step closer to fulfilling my dreams.
