Senior year typically starts the second that students walk through the doors of Jesuit in August. This year, that was all different. Senior year did not truly start until February 9th when students could attend their senior year classes in-person. However, by the time senior year actually began, students had already missed out on a multitude of events including homecoming, encounters, the pilgrimage, sports practices, club meetings, and so many more. Though Jesuit has done everything possible to try to allow students to safely have these experiences, some still feel like they really missed out. So, in the final days of high school, how do seniors look back on their senior year?

Since the majority of senior year was online, many students feel that the limited time they spent together in-person was very special. 

“ I feel like spending this much time online makes the time we had in school as seniors even more important,” senior Max Barton explained.

Coming back to in-person classes really turned things around for many students. The face-to-face interactions and chatter at lunch that students were craving finally returned. Many students even branched out to classmates they had never had much of a relationship with because they were so happy to see them in person. Even though 

Even with the return to school, some students still remained sad that they had missed out on many events from earlier in the year. Though it was too late to hold events like the Homecoming dance, CDC guidelines were loosening to allow larger events to take place. Thanks to the administration, seniors were able to experience many events they did not think they would ever have. 

“Though we only had three months together for our senior year, I feel like we are getting some closure for the last four years with events like the Pilgrimage and prom,” senior Savannah Fitts said. 

Having these final events to end high school gave senior year a more positive note. However, while most senior classes feel a mix of happiness and sadness approaching their last few days, grateful is a more accurate word to describe the Class of 2021. 

“I feel like I’ve tried to make the most out of this lost year and Jesuit did a good job with keeping it as normal as they could be with respecting CDC and Governor Brown’s guidelines,” senior Annie Landgarf said. “I know a lot of schools that had their whole year online, so I’m just fortunate that I was able to go back and be able to connect with my class before I leave for college.”

At the end of the day, the feelings held by the Class of 2021 are not much different from previous senior classes. While a couple students may feel bittersweet about leaving, the majority of students just feel happy they had the opportunity to come to school at all. Reflecting on these final moments is hard for a quarantine stricken senior year, but that is what made these last months feel so much more meaningful for seniors. 

“It is amazing to see people grow with each other and end a journey together,” Barton said. “It’s great that my high school experience is coming to an end, and I’m glad I got to spend it with the people that I grew to care about.”