The North Park Student Newspaper Since 2023
Excited, Nervous, and Everything in Between: Seniors reflect on graduation
SOUTH STAR
Maitri Sukhadia
6/11/20263 min read
I was on a mission to find out how many seniors felt the way I did, all over the place. After interviewing over 100 graduating seniors, almost all of them feel the same way. Excited, nervous, terrified, happy, and feelings that we don't even have words for erupt as June 25th approaches, the day we throw our caps up in the air.
Each student shared a different experience but one theme remained consistent across all interviews: "Excitement!”
“I am excited to leave and move on to the next chapter of my life, UNIVERSITY!”
“I am really excited because I don’t have to be here anymore… and I get to move closer to my goal,” “I am excited,” “I am excited to continue the next chapter in my life, postsecondary,” “I am excited to not wake up early, not go to class, and now teachers won't be off limits to date,” damn, “I am excited because I just don't want to be here anymore, no more taking the ‘29’ everyday,” “I am excited to meet a lot more people,” “I am so excited! Because, honestly I feel like high school gets a little repetitive after some time,” I agree! “And you spend a lot of time doing things you don’t really wanna do and I am excited to be living with my friends on res,” “I feel very excited because I finally get to become a teacher,“ “I am excited, off to uni you know, meet new people,” “I feel so excited, I am ready to leave but I’m gonna miss my friends,” “Excited,” “I feel excited because I get to leave Brampton" said Mahi, Aarna, Puneet, Shridhar, Tavishti, Pal, Saanvi, Sadhika, Deiondre, Happiness, Michelle, Shrinidhi, and Emily enthusiastically but still with a little nostalgia in their tone.
Of course, there were also those who are having a harder time letting go of the amazing memories that they’ve made in the last four years:
“A little bit scared at the same time because even after 4 years, graduation feels like it got here too fast,” “Doesn’t feel real, not ready for the change you know,” “I feel sad because we’ve only been here for 4 yrs; I ma miss all our people, which is brown people,” for context, he’s going to queens, “I am excited to graduate but I am also sad because I will be leaving all my friends and I’ll miss them,” “I feel pretty sad and I am going to miss north park and coming to school,” “I am scared actually, I don’t know why,” “I am a little nervous because I don't know how post-secondary is gonna go,” ”I feel happy but also a little sad because the last 12 year we have been going to school with the same routine, and as always you know, a new chapter isn’t something you’re ready for but when you’re in the moment, you’re gonna have to figure it out and hopefully whoever is reading to this makes it in life,” “I feel great to graduate, #valedictorian #67, #drop work, wherever you go in the future, I hope everybody makes it, wait what was the question,” how is he valedictorian… “I feel great! Yo Joel, can you believe it's june bro,""son!” "It's good to be done but also sad to be gone” said Harsh, Tanush, Arnav, Malika, Jaisveen, Ekam, Yasmin, Joel, Happiness, and Devan with tears falling out of their eyes, obviously I am joking, it’s too soon for that.
The “unique” responses:
“I feel inspirational,” “yo wait, let me think…” “I love graduating because it makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something," “My career’s going to open up, my family you know…eventually, hopefully,” he better hope, “I feel great about graduating because it’s just great to see how far I’ve come… I used to be a very dumb kid in grade 9,” someone else, “nothing changed,” back to dhruv, “and I got into a pretty good engineering program,” “duaiuudaaauduaauauud DUADUAU,” “I feel great because I don't have to come to these dirty halls anymore, see these scratches, missing ceilings, and stuff,” “I am so excited because I can't wait to start this new academic journey… because university life is so exciting, right Maitri Sukhadia,” why is he interviewing the interviewer…” “I feel accomplished, a big chapter of my life completed, one day high school will become a memory,” said Navranaq, Neelay, Abiyan, Dhruv, Ariana, Devishi, Taha, and Abilash.
And finally, the latter group of people, who don’t really feel much:
“Fine, I don’t really care,” “It’s okay,” “Not feeling much,” “I have no feelings,” said Roshini, Aditya, Kevin, and Vino respectively.
These people were able to somehow put a little bit of what they feel into words but I am sure there’s so much more going on in their heads and hearts beyond what I can share with you.
To growing up… ready or not.