The end of the school year is difficult for everyone. The pressure of upcoming finals and anticipation for summer creates a dreadful month that every high school student has to suffer through. However, most high school seniors have other things on their mind during this time of the year: saying goodbye to close friends and teachers, working out post-high school plans and preparing for their fast-approaching graduation. Moving on to the next chapter of their life and parting ways with their peers is a challenge for many seniors. 

Instead of focusing on what lies ahead, seniors are using these last few weeks to reminisce on their past four years in high school. We asked a handful of seniors to reflect on a fond memory from their time at Middleton High School and give advice to underclassmen.

Q: What is one of your favorite high school memories? 

A: 

Maddie Sorenson: “I was on the cheer team so I loved cheering at the football games.”

Gavin Wade: “My favorite high school memory was playing soccer with other upperclassmen in junior year.”

Isa Garay: “Doing theater and choir was where I found most of my close friends and had some really positive experiences.”

Tiem Nguyen: “Definitely getting my dub at home for my last dual wrestling meet. That’s a great memory I have.”

Kate Vatthauer: “Choir and orchestra were really fun.”

Claire Wallsch-Drury: “Anything I’ve done in band is up there, and cross country.”

Maillie Miller: “Skipping class to go get Starbucks.”

Mawuenam Dossa: “Going to Puerto Rico in the spring of this year. That was a lot of fun because I got to go with my friends and I haven’t been there before. I wish I could do it again, but I can’t, obviously, because I’m graduating.”

Maeve Carlson: “My favorite high school memory is the physics trip to six flags my junior year.”

Jaden Zuk: “Participating in extracurriculars, for me, band. I liked marching band and spending time after school getting good at stuff.”

Abby Ensenberger: “My favorite high school memory is winning sectionals for swimming my senior year. Swimming on the 200 free relay that won at sectionals and scoring the highest for the team at state was another highlight.”

Lauren Lamson: “My favorite high school memory was running The Cardinal Chronicle and getting to know the underclassmen this year. I feel like as an upperclassman, especially with Covid, it was hard to connect with the younger students. Everyone hates on freshmen but they’re actually pretty cool.”

Mason Bauer: “Doing all of the stuff for theater and choir. Fine Arts Week was a lot of fun and I enjoyed being a part of it. Especially the musicals, I really enjoyed being a part of the musicals.”

Lainie Laszewski: “I loved the senior skip day to Devil’s Lake. Senior year was probably the highlight of my entire high school career! My first freshman dance and my first prom were also awesome.”

Q: What advice do you have for underclassmen?

A:

Maddie Sorenson: “Get enough sleep, drink water, take care of your mental health first and be nice to everybody.”

Gavin Wade: “My advice is to be yourself, otherwise life gets kinda boring and you’ll miss out on opportunities to do what you really want.”   

Isa Garay: “Don’t stress yourself out too much over the small stuff and don’t take everything too seriously. Obviously, academics are super important, but it also isn’t the end of the world if something doesn’t go exactly the way you want it to. You will be okay and it’s not worth your mental health to be that stressed about it.”

Tiem Nguyen: “For underclassmen, I recommend being selfish. Don’t revolve your whole world around one specific person, you need to think about yourself more than anyone else. Also, no matter what, don’t care about what other people think of you. When people be hating, you get hate ‘cuz you’re shining!”

 Kate Vatthauer: “Have fun before the responsibilities of adulthood set in.”

Claire Wallsch-Drury: “Write your essays for the Common App in the summer so you don’t have to do it all at the start of your senior year.”

Maille Miller: “Remember to take the things you enjoy doing into account. You will get really busy in your Junior year especially, it’s like that for everyone. Consider taking a step back when things start getting overwhelming. Think about the things you like doing and focus more on those.”

Mawuenam Dossa: “Try new things, manage your schedule, and eventually focus on a club or doing other extracurriculars. In college you get busy and you don’t want to overwork yourself — you are the most important. Focus on your time.”

Maeve Carlson: “Take risks. High school is a time to figure out who you are and what you like.”

Jaden Zuk: “Get your homework done early and then you will have time for other things. Don’t overload on classes.”

Abby Ensenberger: “Some advice I have for underclassmen is to live in the moment and try new things, high school goes by fast so enjoy it all.”

Lauren Lamson: “When you’re younger, it can be awkward to talk to people, but chat with people anyway because you won’t see most of these people again after you graduate. Don’t wait until your schedule calms down to make social connections, because it won’t.”

Mason Bauer: “Take advantage of going to a large high school. Try everything you can. It can’t hurt to try things out, there are so many things here at this school, so take advantage of them while you’ve got them.” 

Lainie Laszewski: “Don’t procrastinate — stay on top of your work. Don’t be afraid to reach out and meet new people, and don’t care about what anyone else thinks.”

Many of the interviewed seniors passed on valuable advice, emphasizing that it is important to prioritize your own wellbeing, try new things, be yourself and enjoy your time in high school while it lasts.  We are wishing this year’s senior class good luck as they begin the next chapter of their lives.