Celebrating College Commitments
A look into Centennial’s Instagram account that highlights individual senior commitments and the culmination of their high school efforts
As seniors close off one chapter of their lives and go their separate ways to college, their friends, family, and peers are thrilled to celebrate their years of hard work and dedication. Usually, hallways would be bustling with news and words of congratulations. This year, however, social media is heavily relied upon to get updates on where everyone is going.
Anika Huang, a current senior at Centennial High School, converted the school’s old Senior Class Board Instagram account into a senior college account: @Centennialseniors.2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken activities away from graduating seniors, and Huang has found inspiration from the previous senior account to commemorate this year’s graduating class.
“Seniors have worked so hard to write our applications and study for tests, all during a year when we couldn’t really see our friends or hang out,” Huang mentioned. The college application process usually includes peer motivation and feedback, but this year, seniors have felt isolated from the typical group excitement.
The senior college account has enabled students to share their pride and accomplishments without having to go anywhere. Huang believes that the most rewarding experience about running the account is “just seeing everyone repost the posts.”
“Every time I go on Instagram, I’ll see someone who reposted their own senior account post or one of their friend’s senior account posts,” remarked Huang.
Not only do Instagram pages like these allow friends to congratulate each other, but it also sparks inspiration for underclassmen, as it provides valuable connections for students interested in the same schools and curious about potential career fields.
“I’ve had a couple students reach out to me asking for advice on the application process,” exemplified Huang. She also had the opportunity to reach out to current students at the college she’s committed to, NYU Stern, and ask for advice on campus life and what the college lifestyle is like.
Huang’s account embraces the achievements of the senior class by recognizing the seniors who choose to submit posts. The account appreciates everyone’s journeys and recalls personal high school memories, enabling seniors to reflect on their experiences and express their excitement for the future.
Even once life returns to some sort of normalcy, Huang believes that accounts like these will continue to bring together the accomplishments of upcoming senior classes.
“I really hope future classes will see it and replicate it for their own senior year,” Huang commented. “It is a great way to make your commitment official and show off the culmination of your efforts in high school.”
Huang believes that college celebrations are reflective of the dedication seniors have put into school and extracurriculars,
“I think that the colleges the seniors are going to is a testament to the work they’ve put in, and even if we aren’t able to fully experience senior year, we can still come together and celebrate our accomplishments,” she stated. After spending four or more years learning and achieving together, seniors find it of sentimental value to inform others of their commitments and congratulate their peers.
Graduating from high school is a bittersweet experience, yet the account presents a fresh perspective into students’ promising futures.
“Senior year encourages a lot of reminiscing,” Huang pointed out. “This account is something that says ‘look how far we’ve come, and look how far we’ll be going.’”
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