There are eleven years between the end of Kindergarten and the beginning of senior year. Maturing minds go through countless changes as they age and transition from an imaginative childhood to preparation for adulthood. Although ready to walk across the stage and get their diploma, Trojan seniors can still fondly remember how they’ve grown through the years.
As a kid, Allison Bowen (12) dreamt of becoming a veterinarian as an adult. Now, she is going to college to become a nurse. Although tending to people instead of animals, Bowen still aims to help heal the community. Melvin Carabantes (12) said that he originally wanted to be a police officer, but now is planning to work with HVAC systems. Senior Eaven Cottrell added, “I wanted to be an animator at one of the big-time studios. I’m not sure what I want to be now. Art still drives me in some ways, but I think it’s more of a hobby now than anything. I’m sure that wherever the wind takes me will be fine.”
Career plans are not the only thing that change. Hobbies and sources of entertainment shift just as much as Trojans navigate the world between kindergarten and their last year of high school. Keegan Pitschmann (12) mentioned, “I used to like riding my bike and playing video games. Now I enjoy watching sports like football and hockey.” Senior Tyler Johnson enjoyed spending time with his family’s herd of cows, whereas he now can be found in the shop in his leisure time. Meanwhile, Ayla Cherry (12) now participates in tennis and nail artistry instead of drawing and coloring. Where seniors Joshua Adkins and Aliyah Barrett used to watch Spongebob and Dora, they now enjoy binging Reacher and Grey’s Anatomy, respectively.
“My younger self would be proud to hear that I went to nationals for dance,” remarked Kennedy Roesler (12), reflecting on how she’s changed in the last decade. Madison Mackie (12) added, “My younger self would be so proud that I graduated at the semester, knowing how my younger self disliked school.”
The journey from kindergarten to senior year is filled with transformation. Along the way, hobbies evolve, perspectives shift, and identities take shape. As the Trojan Class of 2025 prepares to turn the page to adulthood, they carry with them not just memories, but a deeper understanding of who they are and who they want to become.
