Santa Rosa seniors share stories, give advice to freshmen

Editor’s note: As she moves toward the halfway point of her senior year at Santa Rosa Academy, Menifee 24/7 intern Hannah McGaughey talks to some of her classmates about their experiences.

Halfway through their first semester, seniors have started experiencing a lot of their first “lasts” in high school: The last first day, the last homecoming dance, and the last school picture. Many have become nostalgic and saddened thinking about the end of their high school experience, but with this transition comes wisdom and memories.

Despite the hardship of tests and exams, students cite many enjoyable experiences that they will not forget.

“Playing sports, the dances, and our school’s Leadership class are easily my top three experiences,” said senior Rajan Grewal. “I’ve had some of my best memories with these three options. I will definitely never forget those experiences.”

One student also described the friendships they made as the best part of high school. Jackie Ballard recounted, “Being with my friends: late nights, eating too much, laughing until it hurts, dancing ridiculously” as her favorite moments.

The seniors still hold onto many funny moments, and they hope that the next generations of seniors will cherish every moment.

One student recalled, “One time I dropped a jar of salsa in Mrs. Hartman's classroom ... it shattered and salsa flew everywhere. I was so scared that she would be angry, but she wound up being chill about it. Now, we're able to laugh about it.”

Many seniors remember the funny mishaps of high school or school events where everyone gathered together.

Senior Stephen Heron said, “The funniest high school moment is when Mr. Carson and Mr. Flores dressed up as WWE fighters for a pep rally and wrestled.”

Another, Marianne McCammon, remembered, “Having our first whiteout pep rally, and seeing the at-the-time seniors ride around on fake horses larping in Halloween costumes!”

Students also focused on the funny moments during group projects and class assignments.

“I remember filming a project for my Business I class with my best friends. We had more bloopers than actual footage,” said Hannah Goddard.

Another senior included, “Creating a cooking video ... in Spanish.”

Many were able to provide wisdom about mistakes for freshmen to avoid after four years of mistakes, successes, and funny moments.

Seniors identify with the hard transition freshmen face academically and socially. This is the advice they have for the Freshman Class of 2023.

“Don't let your work pile up. Have fun. Have great group of friends. Just enjoy it while it lasts. Four years go by really fast.” - Chloe Gonzalez

“Your classmates don’t care as much as you think! Put yourself out there, regardless of how wacky or embarrassing you think you are. As cliched as it is, be real and be yourself. It’s the easiest way to form friendships. Go out of your way to say hi to someone. You’ll maybe meet your future best friend, or at the bare minimum, make school or that one class you can’t stand more bearable.” - Bella Mier

“The advice that I would give to the freshmen is to enjoy high school and have some fun. I don't mean like be reckless, but I mean to make memories that you would cherish for the rest of your life because before you even know, that precious time to make those memories is gone.” -Stephen Heron

“Don't overthink it. High school should be fun and easy, as well as being a good learning experience. Take advantage of any opportunity you come across, and trust me, it really does help to study.” - Jayden Spina

“Work hard and be diligent. Don’t focus on your grades, just focus on the quality of your work and your effort. Enjoy the high school experience! Be involved where you can and always remember to take a break and allow yourself to relax with schoolwork. High school is a time of growth and change. Figure out who you are, not who everyone else wants you to be. Take any adversity and turn it into a blessing.” - Hannah Goddard

“You may feel like the world is against you, but everyone else feels that way too. You'll come to realize as high school goes on that the people you think are against you are just as scared and confused as you. We're all on our way to becoming adults and it's definitely scary. Stick with the people you trust and don't be afraid to be yourself.” - Abygail Waddle

“Don't put all of your eggs in one basket. You will lose and gain friends through the next four years. Also, DO NOT DATE!” - Jaelyn Park

“Don't stress about freshman year and get to know your teachers.” - Kaiah S. Womber

“Enjoy it! High school is the last four years before you have to be completely responsible for yourself, and it goes by fast. Make good friends and have fun, but never lose sight of the future. It's important to find that balance.” - Jackie Ballard

“Be involved with what happens in high school. If you’re given an opportunity, make sure you take advantage of it right away. Also, be sure to be yourself and see all of the positive high schools has to offer instead of the negatives.” - Rajan Grewal

“Don’t overthink things. Sure it’s a stressful environment, but you can’t let that be your main focus in high school.” - Andrew Means

“Just chill, hangout with friends. Enjoy every day while you’re still on that freshman high, but be prepared for the next years to come. Make every year count!!” - Marianne McCammon

Things To Avoid:

“I can’t push this enough, especially for your later years; don’t stress about school too much. Put in your best effort and it will show, but don’t worry about missing some points off a test.” -Andrew Means

“Not making friends with other high school grades. Having friends in all grades is a really fun thing to do, even though some may leave sooner than you. Also, avoid chewing gum because some teachers have the eyes of a hawk!!” - Marianne McCammon

“Don't be thinking that since you're in high school you can be more self-entitled.” - Chloe Gonzalez

“Avoid people that will bring you down or have something against you. You don’t have time to deal with haters and people that will talk behind your back. Instead, go hang out and connect with people that will support you through thick and thin and will be happy to hang around you. Also, avoid peer pressure. Do not listen to what others tell you to do, especially if you don’t agree with it or your heart says no. If you have a bad feeling about something, follow your gut no matter what. Don’t listen to what someone else says just because it sounds fun or cool to do. Follow what you know is right.” - Rajan Grewal

“Changing yourself for someone else, or doing something solely to please someone else.” - Jackie Ballard

“Never, ever, EVER disrespect your teachers or staff members.” - Kaiah S. Womber

“Avoid as much drama as possible!!!” - Jaelyn Park

“Middle school is nothing like high school. If you think you can barely pay attention in your classes and still pass with A's, you can't. You need to make sure you're on top of your work all the time and make sure not to miss any assignments. A late assignment is better than giving up and not turning it in at all.” - Abygail Waddle

“Don’t stress. Don’t try and fit in everywhere. Don’t change yourself for other people. High school is stressful, but don’t let that change you for the worse. Also don’t act like school doesn’t matter, because it does. Academics are more important that sports. And don’t procrastinate!” -Hannah Goddard

“Don't. Ever. Take. Out. Your. Phone. I learned that the hard way…” - Jayden Spina

“Freshmen should avoid procrastination. As procrastinator myself, procrastination causes you to not live up to your abilities. Playing one more game in call of duty, watch one more you youtube video, or many hours of looking through the explore section on Instagram are not healthy for you. If you take those many hours to do something productive, you can achieve anything.” -Stephen Heron

“It’s vital you realize your teachers have different expectations as you enter high school. It’ll be way different from your experiences in middle school (duh!). Teachers want your attention and respect. Their job is to give you the tools to further expand your education and/or enter the workforce. Don’t treat teachers too harshly: they only want the best for you, even if you don’t see it in the moment.” -Bella Mier