Senioritis: An Honest Report from the Trenches, Part II

Retreat: August 23-24, 2015

A few weekends ago, my school’s senior class headed up to the Tennessee border for a two-day, one-night retreat of whitewater rafting, paintball, bonfires, and bonding. It was one of the best experiences of my senior year so far, and I’m so glad I went. It’s crazy how much can change from one night in a cabin.

In the first few weeks of school, I had gotten pretty stressed about the workload of my classes combined with college applications, leadership positions, and the desire to actually have a life. The retreat was a good chance not only to take a step back from that, but also to remember that senior year definitely has some positives, too.

I really can’t describe how being less than 300 days away from graduation all of a sudden unites people who have spoken fewer than ten words to one another, but it does. Both in my senior class at church and my senior class at school, we’ve taken on this identity as the seniors. I feel comfortable talking to just about anyone in the Class of 2016, because it suddenly feels like we have so much in common; a graduation date, a desire for a college acceptance letter, and fun senior shirts are just a few of the things that mark us and make us different.

The senior retreat was full of fun traditions for seniors, including whitewater rafting, and it was the emotional and social transition into senior year, compared to the academic transition that had occurred on the first day of school. Our senior retreat reminded me that homework might get overwhelming, college applications might seem daunting, and some days might feel impossible, but we’re going to get through it. After all, we’re seniors. And at the end of the day, I’m so so proud and #blessed to be a part of the Class of 2016.