Marking the end of enrollment, National Decision Day on May 1 provides an opportunity for seniors to celebrate their college commitment through reflection on their past high school experiences.
Senior Riya Mehta feels relieved to finally get to wear her college gear.
“I love wearing my Georgetown merch, and it feels like a relief; all the hard work in high school really paid off,” Mehta said.
For many students, their college decision represents their dedication to athletics and an unrelenting mindset.
“[My college decision] represents all the hard work I’ve put into athletics throughout my life,” senior Carol Descher said. “I think that’s a testament to how much hard work and dedication I put in and how much I do.”
Beyond athletics, many seniors are hoping to discover their academic limits in college and seize every opportunity available.
“I want to see everything that I can accomplish and take every opportunity that I’m given,” senior Adriana Kingsbury said. “As long as it’s beneficial to my major and helps me get further into school, I want to act on it.”
In college, opportunities are also provided for students to develop their sense of individuality and find themselves.
“I hope to learn more about myself in being peacefully alone. Often, I get anxious because I feel like I should be out like all my friends are,” senior Izzy Shurtz said.
According to senior Jessica Dymond, college will stretch her ability to depend on herself, instead of always reaching out to others.
“Here I have my parents and my friends, and college is really going to be a test of how I can handle things by myself without relying on other people as much,” Dymond said.
For Descher, she anticipates expanding her persona and connecting with her new community.
“I want to grow a lot more in college and branch out and find my people, but I want to be able to grow as a person,” Descher said. “I know that I’ve matured and grown into someone that I respect and admire, and I want to have experiences that continue to do that.”
According to Mehta, she hopes to gain a deeper understanding of her disposition.
“I hope that I can learn more about my values and fine-tune what I want to do in my career,” Mehta said. “I am excited to discover more about myself.”
Shurtz said she hopes others learn to be grounded and be more present.
“I would tell others not to care that much. Once I reflected back, I realized I was too anxious a lot of the time, and I should’ve lived in the moment more,” Shurtz said.