Pennants, pizza, photos: Seniors celebrate National College Decision Day

Seniors Nyah Fernandez, Chidimma Nwafor, Katelyn Chi and Ali Argon get pizza as Vaughan Anoa’i explains what toppings are on each one. Before the pennants were handed out, seniors were treated to pizza for lunch on the front veranda and the front lawn. “It meant a lot to be able to gather and celebrate together at the pennant ceremony,” Nwafor said. “I feel like our grade, due to COVID — we haven’t gotten a lot of senior events where we were really able to be together and unmask and [take] photos. To be able to do that was definitely amazing.”

The senior class enjoys pizza on the front lawn while talking with Hauk. The Class of 2022 has not had as many opportunities for group celebrations as previous senior classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I started in ninth grade, so every year, at the end of May, I would get so excited to see the class of seniors’ either maypole tradition or their senior week,” senior Mikaela Foronda said. “I’m really looking forward to that once I finish my classes, and I’m really excited to be with my friends and family and just to celebrate all that I’ve accomplished this year.”

Hauck and Leggins read lines from each senior’s personal statements from their college applications. They chose the most humorous, meaningful and thoughtful excerpts that they believed encapsulated the Class of 2022. The seniors and teachers listening received each line with laughter and admiration for their peers. “I’m just so proud of my grade. We’ve been so resilient over the past couple of years,” senior Grace Doyle said. “Now, to be at this point where we’re all together and getting to participate in these traditions is really well deserved. I love each and every one of these girls.”

Graduating seniors from the Oracle Staff, Sports Editor Gracie Doyle, Editor-in-Chief Vaughan Anoa’i and Features Editor Thea Leimone, show off their college spirit together. “I think from here on, it’s only exciting things,” Doyle said. “We have a really, really fun end of the year. We get to participate in all these traditions. Then we have summer, which is always fun, and then freshman year [of college], which is so exciting and new. But I’m really ready for the next chapter.”

Foronda proudly displays her Wellesley College pennant. “It was a really special moment for me. I think after having been mostly remote for junior year and finally coming back for senior year, it was really nice,” Foronda said. “As seniors, we went through a lot, even just with this year academically and then managing the college process. It was really special.”

Seniors Stella Brien, Olivia Jarvie and Doyle pose for a photo with their college pennants. “It was an amazing feeling, especially being here since sixth grade. It was a very full circle moment to come in [to sixth grade] with these girls as 11 and 12-year-olds, and to finally see all of our hard work pay off as 17 and 18-year-olds was really, really special,” Doyle said. “Obviously, it was under the cloud with missing a lot of our grade because of COVID. But it was very characteristic of our grade to make the most of what we had, and I think what we had was really meaningful.”

Leimone, Naya Ben-Meir, Lily Miro and Soriano hold their pennants from colleges from every corner of the nation. “It was really, really special. All my friends — we put our pennants next to each other and it was a full circle moment,” Soriano said. “[It was] the first time I realized that we’re actually all going to college… so it’s very surreal.”

Seniors attending in-state colleges pose for a picture with their pennants. With only two weeks left before graduation, Doyle, Foronda and Nwafor said that it was hard to believe that their final year at Archer is coming to a close. “I only saw one class get to participate in a lot of [celebrations] because of COVID, so I’m just very grateful that we were able to participate in these things,” Soriano said. “It’s really, really special… and I’m really grateful for these activities because I know a lot of schools — they don’t really get to do [them]. So it’s very nice.”

The seniors that were able to attend the pennant ceremony gather on the steps at the front of the school to take a photo together with their pennants. The Class of 2022 will be attending colleges all across the country. Although many were absent, seniors spoke with fondness of the memories of their time together and the pride that they have for each other. “I’m most looking forward to be able to graduate with the same people that I started off with in ninth grade and being able to celebrate everyone’s accomplishment come May 27,” Nwafor said. “I’m super proud of my grade and proud of everything we’ve been able to achieve. So I’m really just excited to celebrate with everybody.”