Ally McCarthy
Staff Writer
Edited by Morgan Huber
Being a senior in college or high school is a huge milestone for young people stepping into a new chapter of life. Brinnia Morgan of Lititz, who is about to graduate college with a bachelor’s in criminal justice, experienced the “real world” in hindsight. High school senior Angelikiki “Kiki” Billis, also of Lititz, awaits her own college experience.
Being a senior at either schooling level can be very stressful. There are countless applications and forms that need to be done. Some high school seniors must turn in college applications, while undergraduate seniors apply for graduation.
Billis applied to seven different colleges and is waiting to hear back from them. She stated two colleges she applied to are out of state.
“My dream is to build my own house one day,” says Billis, who intends to study architectural engineering.
As Billis waits to see where her next chapter in life will take place, she states she will miss only three things – her friends and family that live here, how close everything is to her house from town, and her dad.
Senior year is bittersweet, as students experience their “last firsts”, such as their “last first day of school”, last senior night, school dances, class events, and pep rallies.
Billis spent her last homecoming dance with her close friends.
“We got to have it outside on the football field which was a new thing for us,” she said.
With Billis’ graduation coming up in June she is not nervous to go to college.
“I’m ready to live on my own to experience adulthood to the fullest”, said Billis.
She is also looking forward to seeing the different interactions that go on in a college town, which is very different from the small cliquey town of Lititz. Billis is eager to head to college, especially the freedom of being independent, getting her own meals, making new friendships, and the rigor of classes.
Billis leaves incoming high school freshmen with a message, “get involved. Literally, do anything, any event to make friends.”
College seniors also have their last firsts, including their last homecoming parade and game, last fall, winter, and spring breaks, last class registration, and last finals week.
Graduation day for Brinnia Morgan was a rainy May day, “they forgot half of our class in the basement which was kinda funny”, she laughed.
After the ceremony, her friends and family went and celebrated her big success.
Morgan always wanted to be in the criminal justice field, with her favorite classes being about law and serial killers. She also was very involved with the campus, being on the dance team and an on-campus employee for all four years. Morgan mentioned she missed the professors as, “they were super fun and laid back”, but made it known that she did not miss the food at all.
As advice to freshmen, Morgan said, “Do not go to frat houses, and make sure you start your homework by 11 pm. C’s get degrees, you’ll get out of there soon.”
Seven months after graduating college, Morgan has a full-time job and loves that she gets to make “big girl money”, as she claims.
Before she even graduated she was not nervous about the real world, even though that is most college seniors’ biggest fear.
“I was really excited,” Morgan states.
Getting into the swing of how the real world works, Morgan chuckles as she says her favorite thing in the real world is “having no assignments due at 11:59pm.”
The message from both seniors is to get involved, as that is the best way to have an enjoyable high school or college experience, and to not be afraid to go through new experiences in life. Whether in high school or in college, students have a huge milestone that will be accomplished.
