Masuk Free Press

Moving on can be a difficult task. It’s asking a lot of someone to leave their comfort without knowing what lies in front of them. Despite one’s preparations, there’s nothing that can be done to change the simple fact of life: everything someone will ever do is a leap of faith. Graduating is a particularly scary thought, as the birds are forced to leave the nest. From the start of their conscious life until they start to form a general idea of what they may want to do in the future, the youth grows up and develops in school. After year twelve, however, there’s an abrupt shift in lifestyle as teens are thrust into the real world. Regardless of  if it’s college, the work force, or the military, it is trial by fire. For teens to prepare themselves, it’s important they think back to their core memories. 

When asked what their most impactful memory of high school was, senior Andrew Guerrera said “I don’t know bro, it’s been four years. How am I supposed to remember everything that’s happened in between?” However, Guerrera then responded to what his favorite year was, saying “Definitely sophomore year. After the pandemic, teachers were still adapting to how to teach without stressing out students. The work was easy, and the classes were fun.”
Easy workloads and simple times are all one might need to have a good time. While these aren’t good reasons to think back on it for help with future struggles, the year was full of obstacles that can absolutely provide the needed experience to succeed in the real world. A wake up call across the globe, COVID-19 was an incredibly unique few years for everyone who went through it. While unusual, it helped for some to develop the ability to adapt to unusual situations. 

Other soon to be graduates felt their senior year had been the most influential year for them. With the majority of credits completed, it allows for seniors to focus on their interests. Masuk offers a wide range of courses, from arts to business electives, all giving students the opportunity to try new things. As a senior, the requirements of taking other classes are often lowered. Students have the chance to widen their horizons.  

“Senior year was the most fun, it was a reduced workload and I had more time to focus on things I enjoyed like research and my sports,” says senior Keller Hall, “I was able to tailor my schedule to my wants and needs as well as remove the stuff I didn’t want to deal with.”

A perspective shared by many seniors, the prospect of focusing on one’s individual interests sparked a lot of enjoyment as students went through their final year at Masuk. The thought of graduating can be nerve wracking, but multiple students emphasized the importance of relying on their counselors through the year. 

“I had more time to focus on myself and the things I like.,” says senior Andrew Radu, “I had the opportunity to pursue a college application, and the counselors worked with me a lot throughout my application process which made it a lot less stressful than I thought it would be as a junior.”

The process of opening up a new chapter in one’s life is generally a foreign concept to high schoolers. For most of their life, they’ve spent their time in a school, living at home with their parents. Post high school can be a very stressful time, and it’s difficult to make the right decisions on what to do without the knowledge of an expert. The expert in this situation is a counselor. For many students, their counselor remains out of their mind for the first two years at Masuk. Junior year, they begin to meet with them as they start to delve into the conversation of post graduation. Senior year, a counselor can be the factor for a student in deciding where they end up. 

Graduating isn’t an easy task. It’s a big jump, as students go from the safe hometown they grew up to potentially across the country, or farther. Young adults are asked to find themselves, discover who they are and what they’ll do for their livelihoods. The memories made at Masuk can serve as a crutch for anyone struggling with finding what they’re passionate about. Through all the struggles of the pandemic, as well as the traditional difficulties of high school, they’ve prepared students for the real world.