With graduation coming up on May 29, seniors find themselves reflecting on their time within the Benilde-St. Margaret’s community. While this time of change comes with feelings of uncertainty and sadness, many seniors find themselves ready to expand their life experiences in college.
Senior Marcella Phillips has attended BSM since her freshman year. When she looks back at her high school career, she finds herself reminiscing about the tight-knit community and friendships she has built over the years. Even though she feels ready for graduation and excited for the freedom it will bring, she will miss the school’s traditions and energy. Phillips thinks the tradition she will miss most is making senior overalls with her friends. “I would say I’m excited, also, like, really sad [to leave] a lot of my friends and family and stuff,” Phillips said.
Similarly to Phillips, senior Eleanor Porisch feels torn between a sense of merriment at celebrating her graduation and a sadness at leaving the support system she has grown over time. She has loved going to school masses throughout high school. She thinks it’s been the perfect way for the community to come together and feel a close sense of belonging. She feels close to her senior class, and will miss the bonds school traditions like these have fostered. “I feel pretty connected. I don’t know. I just think I’ve been trying to make friends from all different groups, and it’s helped me feel like I can talk to anyone,” Porisch said.
While Porisch will miss her in-school routines, the absence she thinks she’s going to feel the most is the loss of her softball team. “I’m sad. I mean, I’m in season right now, and thinking about it literally makes me want to cry. So that’s where I’m at, yeah,” Porisch said.
Senior Anya Seppala also finds herself sad at leaving the community she has built within her activities. She has formed relationships with many underclassmen and juniors and feels sad about leaving them behind. “I might still be able to do the same activities, but not with the same people, and it’s sad,” Seppala said.
While Seppala feels bittersweet about what she’s moving away from, she, like many of her classmates, thinks it’s time for her to grow and see who she is without BSM. “I’m getting to start somewhere new, like, a fresh, clean slate, like, try new things, get to figure out officially who I am as person…I’m excited to just have a lot of freedom, freedom to go wherever I want, at whatever time I want,” Seppala said.