Three years of hard work in school with bright outlooks on the final year and all its rewards was a reality for many senior students at Lakes High School and beyond. With school being online for nearly a year, the much looked forward to events and activities have been cancelled for the Class of 2021.  

Though it has been a tedious and frustrating year thus far for students, Seniors in particular have experienced hardships unimaginable to them just a year ago. Long held traditions like the Senior Sunrise, Prom and the Senior Walk are either pending or remain looming on the expectance of being postponed or cancelled.  

Still, students of the Class of 2021 are bidding on more fruitful futures outside of school after graduation, regardless of the present circumstances.  

Senior JROTC officer, Sonam Llama, shared her hopes for post-school life. She says that putting university on her path has led her to anticipate with excitement, the joy of adjusting with others around her in an academic and social setting, “I look forward to going into a university and fitting in as well as settling into the new environment.”  

Like many other seniors, Sonam advises that planning has been one of her most beneficial skill sets from being in school. “I had not considered other factors like this pandemic we are in now,” she says, “this situation we are in now has made me think of a plan b, but it has most importantly taught me the need for adaptability–expect the unexpected!”  

Sonam was accepted into the New York Institute of Technology and is on track to get her education in Pre Medicine, eventually allowing her to become a doctor of osteopathic medicine. She has her sights on pediatric surgery.  

“Some things that have got me through this crazy senior year are my friends, family and the internet.” 

Cole Henslee, a member of Lakes’ ASB and Mariachi, has different plans. After graduating, Cole plans to attend university for four years with ambitions of earning a degree in Tuba Performance.  

“This pandemic has really taught me the importance of job security,” Cole states, “I’ve seen many musicians switch careers simply because there’s no money in music right now.” He describes that the landscape for a musician in a pandemic has its innately more challenging obstacles.  

Though setbacks for a musical career are said to be inevitable, Cole’s positivity even now shows, “Past graduation I look forward to some in-person music events including a tuba competition in Michigan.” For artists like Cole, music flows naturally and intersects career ambition with personal life, “Music has really gotten me through this crazy year. Through life’s ups and downs it truly has been an anchor for me.” 

With hybrid school having started in the early weeks of March, there is an eagerness around the senior class body about details of further events such as in-person graduation and their possibility of occurrence. For now, the Class of 2021 waits with patience.