To kick off the 2022-2023 school year, Spring Valley hosted its third annual Senior Sunrise tradition last Friday from 6-7 am on August 19th. An estimated 280 seniors spent the sunrise socializing with friends and basking in the sun with their high school memories, while also showing off their senior pride with their senior crowns. 

Senior sunrise has been a tradition at Spring Valley for about three years including the 2019-2020 school year. During the 2020-2021 school year in the peak of the pandemic, seniors had a senior sunset instead of a sunrise for safety precautions. This year, seniors are still taking in the fact they are now seniors and not underclassmen anymore. 

“I feel really nostalgic, being in my last year of high school,” Senior Saji Turkmani said. “Looking back at quarantine, I had a whole sophomore year gone and it feels like I’m not a senior yet.” 

This year, STUCO accommodated the seniors with free snacks such as donuts, cinnamon rolls, juice, and little bites. 

“To be honest, it was a little hot out, but I’m glad we had refreshments there,” Senior Noah Buckley said. “The cinnamon rolls were amazing. I loved them, I must have had like three of them.” 

STUCO provided speakers with music for the seniors to listen to while socializing with friends and taking pictures together all throughout the football field and bleachers to capture their first and last experience of this event. 

“The view and spending time with my friends made everything so much more memorable and I really enjoyed the time I had with them,” said Turkmani. “I wish the view was a little more visible, but the pictures I took with my friends were able to capture how I felt.” 

According to a few seniors, not many activities were provided other than the free space that the football field had to offer and music, but STUCO advisor, Mrs. Lebaron said she will definitely look forward to adding more activities for the class of 2024 next year. Until then, some seniors had a few suggestions to what next year seniors might appreciate. 

“To be honest, free pancakes and bacon would have been cool,” Senior Mikey Mendez said. “I think if we had more activities like a photobooth, it would be really interesting to have had.” 

To some of the seniors, the event made them reflect on their high school experience and what the future has to offer to them. It gave them a new perspective of enjoying the final moments they have in their last nine months of high school. 

“I went to Senior Sunrise because it was an opportunity to really take in and acknowledge how far I’ve actually come,” Senior Kimari Gay said. “I went from a freshman to a senior and now it’s my year; I’m just so excited to graduate. I’m happy and excited to see where life really takes me from here.”