The Piedmont Highlander

The Student News Site of Piedmont High School

The Piedmont Highlander

The Piedmont Highlander

Seniors reflect on the ups and downs of high school

For years, the long walk through the forest of purple and white balloons seemed like a prospect that loomed miles away. In freshman year, high school was a time when there seemed to be an infinite amount of time to do anything one wanted. However, as the class of 2016 prepares to suit up in their flowing gowns, the time has flown by far too quickly.

This year’s seniors, the class of 2016, will graduate on June 9 at Witter Field at 5:00 p.m.

Among the many things he will miss about PHS as he departs for college, senior Ian Taylor will miss the friendships he has cultivated with both other students and faculty, he said.

“There are a lot of teachers that I know really well that I’m going to miss, and a lot of people that I know,” Taylor said. “It’s a little melancholy.”

Senior Ryan Howzell shared these sentiments and said she will miss the routines she has developed at PHS.

“I’m really going to miss my friends a lot. We see each other all the time,” Howzell said. “In college we’re going to dispersed all over the place. It’s going to be an adjustment not to see them every single day.”

Beyond just missing her close friends, Howzell said she will also miss the entire student body, which has become part of the routine she has become accustomed to at PHS.

“[I’ll miss] acquaintances, and people who just populate the school around you,” Howzell said.

Although dreading leaving their communities behind, Howzell and Taylor both look forward to moving on to new experiences in college.

“College is even more freedom and a lot more responsibility,” Taylor said. “That aspect, I am very excited by. But it’s a little nerve wracking.”

Howzell added that she would miss the Piedmont community, which she has grown to know and love.

“It’s going to be jarring to have to go and start over again,” Howzell said.

Apart from missing students, Howzell also said she dreads leaving behind the relationships formed with teachers.

“Value your relationships with your teachers,” Howzell said. “Some of the relationships I’m going to miss the most are with teachers. Those can be really valuable relationships and they can teach you a lot about being an adult before you actually are one.”

English teacher Dr. Elise Marks has developed a deep relationship with this year’s graduating class because this year, Marks taught about half of the grade.

“I have a huge class,” Marks said. “They are packed wall to wall, but they still don’t have any behavior issues.  They are still thinking and participating and listening to each other and engaged in their learning.  That’s something as a teacher I really respect.”

Over the year, Marks has seen them develop as students and as people.

“They think a lot about the ethics of their behavior and treating each other like human beings,” Marks said.

Marks also said the class has great independence and drive to learn.

“[I appreciated] their good heartedness and their willingness to make anything they are doing meaningful and positive,” Marks said.

Marks also added that she hoped the students would continue to be independent people both in education and in life.

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