By: Mikayla Ho, Staff Writer
The new school year marks a major turning point for freshmen and seniors at Mills. Freshmen are starting their journeys, while seniors are finalizing their last year in high school. These two groups have unique challenges and opportunities, leading to diverse opinions and experiences.
Many freshmen, like Mira Youssef (9), haven’t interacted much with seniors yet. “I feel like they are just more powerful than us – they probably did a bunch of volunteering over the years, which taught them so many different things,” she says.
Right now, Youssef’s main focus is her studies and strives to make academic achievements. “[I worry] About my grades honestly, really a lot about my grades and how I do in school because I know that’s going to be a really big factor later in life. It might be the reason for me getting into a specific college.” Let’s hear what the idea of college is like for seniors at Mills.
Jeckie Ng (12), also has college on her mind. “I want to try to go for top UCS, maybe some privates. Just like, in general, create a more, like, balanced college list. Realistically, it’s all a chance of luck,” she says. Regardless of the grade, students of all ages experience similar feelings throughout their time as a student.
Ng, who is a peer tutor for freshmen, values how friendly and engaged they are. “I feel like, you know, as a freshman, I wasn’t able, I was really, like, scared more, like, intimidated, but it’s good that like they feel more comfortable,” she explains, reflecting on when she was a freshman.
Some seniors, like Eddison Hue (12), see freshmen as the future. “I think they are pretty cool people for the future of our generation. They have the capability to be something great, to learn more due to new technology, and they will become smarter than anyone else.”
Hue is most concerned about college applications. “Currently, I’m most worried about college applications to begin the new chapter in my life,” he shares. Hue also explains how important it is to maintain good grades. The importance of both working hard and still having fun.
Suri Rastani (9) has big dreams for her future. “I’m aiming for MIT, even though I highly doubt I’ll get into it, because I love engineering, and I would love to get into the best engineering school in the world,” she shares. The early years of high school are often the times to explore your interests and learn about others and yourself.
Rastani explains one way she can learn from seniors is by understanding their attitudes. “I can learn what mindset I’d want to have for senior year or for the beyond years that I have – doing as I will and what I want to do for school,” she says. It’s great to seek other perspectives because you can develop a better understanding of those around you.
Despite their differences, both freshmen and seniors at Mills have similar concerns about their futures. They realize the importance of grades and college preparation. It’s interesting to see how much they can learn from each other, showing that it’s never too late to make new friends and connect with peers from different grades.
Moreover, high school is a continuous learning lesson and provides various experiences and opportunities for students of all grade levels. Networking and getting to know people closest to you or inside your circle allows the opportunity see through a broader lens that’ll allow you to gain advice, knowledge, and overall more friendships. It’s interesting to see the way students of different ages view one another and their outlooks on the future. The connections and friendships we make throughout high school will continue to shape who we are.
This only goes to show how, despite being different ages or having different responsibilities, there is always someone who may feel the same way as you.
