There’s a certain excitement that clouds the air as mid-May approaches. Many seniors begin to realize that their high school careers are mere weeks away from ending, and count down the days to graduation. Some feel melancholy and some feel relief, but the emotional rollercoaster of it all unites the class of 2018.

Senior Martin Lu is grateful for his experience at AHS, as he has “learned so much…at AHS” and “met so many incredible people.” While he expressed that he feels bittersweet, Martin is also “very excited for the next four years” at Washington University.

Mirroring Martin’s sentiments, senior Eileen Chen also noted that leaving high school is “sort of bittersweet; [she’s] happy to start a new chapter” in her life, but “sad to leave some of her close friends” behind. If she could restart her four years at AHS, Eileen would have talked to and befriended more people. In Eileen’s opinion, her time at AHS will prepare her well for her coming years at UC Santa Barbara.

Senior Jonathan Yu, on the other hand, wouldn’t change a single thing about his high school experience. He described his thoughts on graduation as “sad to leave” his home but “happy to explore the world.” Jonathan, who is heading to Tufts University in the fall, believes that Arcadia High has provided all the resources for him to “grow as an individual.”

AHS, as an academically competitive school, has often motivated students to work harder, according to senior Ethan Chen. A soon-to-be UC Berkeley student, Ethan stated, “The experience of failing is one that I’ll take to college because it’s a good feeling for me to use to push myself to work harder.” Ethan is “pretty happy to graduate knowing that his hard work in high school got [him] into a good college.”

Although often stressed out by Arcadia’s pristine standards as well, senior Regina Wang, also a future UC Berkeley student, viewed AHS’ “academic rigor [as] incredibly valuable.” She is ambivalent about graduating, as she is “excited to go off to a new school, but sad that [she’ll] lose touch with a lot of [her] friends now.”

The path to graduation hasn’t been an easy one, but our seniors have conquered battles and emerged victorious. As our seniors wave their last goodbyes to AHS, they welcome a new future with a renewed drive to succeed.

Photo courtesy of VECTEEZY.COM