By Ashley Gilbert

Senior Day, a cherished tradition at Granada Hills Charter High School (GHC), offers graduating seniors an opportunity to bond in their final year of high school. For the class of 2025, the day featured a blend of new and familiar activities, aimed at creating lasting memories among classmates. 

One of the highlights was the Senior Sunrise, a relevantly new event where seniors gathered on the football field early in the morning to watch the sunrise together. Students brought blankets, coffee, and breakfast to enjoy a uniquely relaxing morning on campus.

“Senior Sunrise was definitely a good bonding experience,” senior Emma Khayan said. “It was fun hanging out with my friends and being all huddled together watching the sun rise that early in the morning. It was especially fun because this is the end of a big chapter of our lives before we go off to college.”

In addition to the sunrise, a panorama picture was taken of the class in the stands. Senior Day concluded with an assembly designed to inspire and motivate students as they approach their future.

“Our goal was to bring in a positive speaker who encourages students to make good choices for themselves,” Activities Office Assistant Jennifer Sheridan said. 

The speaker emphasized following one’s passions and not stopping despite facing negative outcomes. Although many students focus on his anecdote about meeting Kanye, Kendrick Lamar, and Kim Kardashian in a shoe store, he spoke mainly about the challenges of his childhood. His father left early and he found his drug-addicted mother dead when he was seven years old. He used this to show that students should use their negative experiences to become even better people, as he tries to be with his own children. 

In order to emphasize the power of positivity, he also asked students to share positive comments about themselves in front of the group in order to make it more personal.

Senior Day overall was geared toward a positive experience for students to reflect on themselves and their friendships.

Senior Day has shifted significantly in recent years from its inception, however. It was originally a ticketed event outside of the school costing students $40-60. However, Senior Day was not always well-received by students.

“Past students haven’t enjoyed the activities provided on Senior Day, which is part of the reason we have switched it to an ASB-driven event, holding the senior sunrise, panorama picture, and an assembly,” Sheridan said. “Now it’s more geared towards allowing students to go off early and do things on their own.” 

The recent modification of events further highlights the school’s commitment to fostering an environment where seniors can celebrate together.

Senior Day remains a significant milestone for the graduating class of 2025, offering an opportunity for camaraderie and reflection as these students near the end of their high school experience. The shift from a traditional ticketed event to an ASB-driven celebration underscores the school’s ability to adapt to provide the best opportunities for students to make memories and reflect on their high school careers. 

As the class of 2025 prepares to embark on its next chapter, it is these shared experiences and lessons that will resonate throughout their lives, creating lasting memories and encouraging them to embrace their futures with confidence and purpose.