It’s that time of year where we have to say farewell to our seniors. At Durango High School on May 17, an assembly was planned to celebrate the seniors graduating and the accomplishments of the school year. At the end of the assembly, the seniors exit through a teacher and staff gauntlet allowing for the transition for juniors to become seniors, sophomores to become juniors, and freshmen to become sophomores. A variety of thoughts and emotions were shared about how DHS left which had an impact on them.

Senior Olivia Reeve was questioned on how she felt about finally finishing high school: “I am really excited for my next adventure and it feels like a [weight was lifted] off my back to be done with all the school work I needed to do for high school. But, along with all this excitement, I am sad to be leaving all the people that I have met throughout all these years; I will miss the friends I’ve made and the community that I’ve been a part of.” Although Reeve will be leaving the friends she’s made along the way, she has advice for those who wish to make some friends in a new environment: “Be true to yourself. Don’t be afraid to have fun and be weird. The best moments are when you don’t care about your surroundings and just enjoy the moment and also enjoy the little things. One thing that got me through high school was just listening to music and enjoying the outdoors.” Although Reeve is leaving the community they’ve grown to love, it’s safe to say that their journey has only just begun. 

Another senior is Lanie Rivas, who is relieved to finish their high school journey. Just like Reeve, she was questioned on how she felt about her finishing high school and Rivas enthusiastically replied, “I feel so relieved, like I can finally take a deep breath. At first I thought it would be this collapsing moment because of how tired I am, but now it’s here and I’m just excited! Still tired though.” Speaking about being tired, being tired doesn’t always mean you’re exhausted from all the school work; being tired could also mean that you’re feeling lonely. Rivas advice was, “Some advice I’d give is know how to advocate for yourself. Sometimes it’s hard feeling like there aren’t people in your corner, but in reality, you just have to find the right people and having them makes a world of difference, even if it’s a teacher. Also [don’t] put things before your happiness! Things are hard, but sometimes all you need is a good moment to take care of yourself.” Taking care of yourself is putting your happiness first, and Rivas is putting herself first and taking a step forward to her future. 

Adelaide Cady, another senior who is still a little stunned to know that high school is over stated, “It hasn’t really hit [me] that I have finished high school. I’ve been a part of this system for as long as I can remember, so it’s going to be very strange moving forward.” While Riva’s advice is to be more outgoing, Cady’s is that it’s okay to not be as extroverted as others. Cady’s advice was, “You don’t have to be talkative or outgoing in class, but you should still try to have a good relationship with your teachers. It helps a lot.” Cady empathizes with those who aren’t as outgoing as others, but even if she prefers the silence she has come such a long way. 

The seniors this year were all quirky in their own way and it was such an honor to be able to converse with them and have the opportunity to meet them one on one. There’s sure to be many different emotions, from excitement to the tears shed as seniors leave, but even amidst the tears, there was so much excitement in the seniors face’s. Every step they took was them starting a new chapter in their lives. Farewell seniors!