The last month of school is a sentimental time for the senior class. They are saying their goodbyes to teachers, staff, and to other students around the Upper School. They’re preparing their senior explorations, and for the other fun activities they do, like senior week and senior assassin. But most importantly, they are reflecting on their times here at Friends, and all the memories they made. 

Being a senior during a pandemic means you can’t have a completely normal year. It can be hard to make it enjoyable. The parents of the seniors tried to make the year as typical as possible while continuing some of the senior traditions as safe as possible.    One of the college advisors, Kathleen Martin said, “Do I hope that the seniors had an enjoyable experience? Of course I do! While the pandemic posed many challenges, I’m grateful that they could share so many senior traditions, including Prom, Senior Dinner, Senior Farewell, and Graduation.” It’s good to see that the senior class was able to have most of the things they would get in a normal year. But not having a typical senior year with the usual activities is hard. 

The seniors have made many memories during their years at Friends. Senior Erin Mann’s favorite memory was her 8th grade canoe trip. “My favorite memory at Friends has to be the 8th grade canoe trip. That trip was so much fun. Our grade really bonded, even though most of us never canoed before. My favorite part of the trip was that everyone wanted to fall into the water by the end.” Camille DeBeary ‘21’s favorite memory was, “When varsity volleyball was playing Padua at St. Marks and we had a huge student section. It was so exciting to see all the support we had even though we lost.” Even though a favorite memory was created, their time here at Friends might have been different from everyone else. 

Students’ experiences at Friends are different for each person. While some of the seniors might not have explicitly said happened, it’s important to know that every school year has good and bad parts.   Erin Mann ‘21 described her time here at Friends as, “My time at Friends has had both positive and negative impacts on me. When I came to WFS in 7th grade, I was really nervous joining a grade that had been together since Lower School. Immediately the grade took me in as if I was there forever. There’ve been ups and downs with Friends School, but overall the opportunities I have been given by attending this school were so great. I feel well prepared for what lies ahead of me in my future.” Not everyone has had the same experience. Camille DeBeary ‘21 said, “I would describe my experience at Friends like a rocky road. There were some ups and A LOT of downs.”