As always, I began this school year by inviting alumni from my classroom to visit with this year’s seniors to answer any questions they had about their final year of high school and what they could expect after graduation.

And as always, the alumni exceeded my expectations with their wisdom and advice. The seniors were more inquisitive than in previous years, and the alumni rose to meet the increased depth of questioning. Overall, the message from the alumni was the same: balance your workload, create your own deadlines and goals, make time for friends and families, pursue your passions, and trust that things will work out in the long run.

The level of relief from the seniors was evident once guest after guest gave a consistent response. The overemphasis on GPA was revealed, and the seniors now realized that they needed to be able to express themselves as people, not sets of numbers. The purpose of extra-curriculars was clarified as being about quality rather than quantity. The choice of college was described as being about the overall fit rather than the name.

Without question, this year’s seniors are ready to handle their senior year with more purpose and individualized objectives. I can’t wait to see how they decide to continue their academic journey after graduation.

A heartfelt thank-you goes out to all the alumni who volunteered their time and wisdom to enlighten the seniors on how to properly approach this final year.

This year’s alumni (pictured above) were: Priyanka P., Enaika K., Saakshi B., Jasmine T., Sharan S., Saikaushik B., Peyton S., Laura L., Akhil D., Saanvi G., Sameeksha M., Navya V., Yaamini J., Ritika P., Celeste W., Shivani R., Alyssa R., Murphy S., Nisha D., Chetan V., Kushal K., Rohan P., Anuja M., Shakeel S., Aindrila N., Amy Y., Christina L., Noah H., Lin H., Sanika B., Ariana V., Kashvi S., Adrian G., Shraavya P., Sahana R., Drithi R., Anveshi G., Maanas S., Manasvi N., Christopher L., Vivek G., Ryan I.