sENIORs look forward to post-grad plans

By: Julia Keane, Meredith Neely, Caitlin Silver

As the school year begins to wrap up for Glenelg students, there is a mix of eagerness and sadness in the air, especially among seniors. 

With Senior Sunset, spirit week, and award ceremonies, the school is buzzing with excitement, but many seniors are also looking beyond high school festivities and turning their attention toward their summer plans. 

​The first few months after graduating high school are a chance to relax for many after a stressful academic year, including the challenge of making post-grad decisions, while others fill their days with summer jobs and family responsibilities.

Senior Week, a longstanding tradition at Glenelg and most high schools, takes place June 4-11, following the graduation ceremony on June 1. Every year, groups of friends rent houses, mostly in Ocean City, for an unforgettable week of fun. Many students have graduation parties to attend as well around this time, celebrating their years of hard work and commitment. 

However, lots of seniors will also be using the summer to make money or care for siblings and family members. 

“It is important for everyone to find the balance between summer fun and hard work that provides a feeling of completion,” said Izzy Reyes, a senior who plans on traveling to both Honduras and Hawaii and will also continue to work at Chick-Fil-A before college starts in the fall. She said she looks forward to taking a break from academics and still having a reliable source of income, which is the situation for many soon-to-be college freshmen.

In the fall, many are excited to take their first few classes at their new colleges, some of which are far away from home and in a completely different environment. Senior Kaylee Walsman said she is eager to travel across the country, ecstatic to leave her hometown and see a different part of the world. Walsman, who is planning to attend BYU Idaho in September, said she “desires to meet many new friends and have an overall positive experience there.”

Abby McDonough will also be traveling out of state, heading up north to Boston Conservatory at Berklee to major in musical theater. She is graduating a year early in order to pursue her dreams of being on the stage, and she already has a ton of acting experience with her previous shows she has done at Glenelg.

By contrast, senior Charis Lamberth is thrilled to attend a college closer to home where she grew up. 

“I plan to attend UMBC to achieve a Bachelor Degree in Biology,” Lamberth said. “Before then, I’m looking forward to enjoying the summer with friends and family.”

Jessica Bradford will head to Towson in the fall, another college in Baltimore, Maryland that allows for a new, independent lifestyle with the comfort of home close by.

These seniors, among many others, are commemorating the achievement of graduating high school. Sooner or later, they plan on fulfilling their dream jobs and rising to success.