Together; WE Rise
Seniors gather for Senior Sunrise
photo credit: Mallory Hatch
Rise and Shine \\ Enjoying snacks and each other’s company, class of 2022 meets in the parking lot to watch the sunrise at the Senior Sunrise Aug. 15. “Senior sunrise to me represents the beginning of a new chapter in our lives,” senior Bailey Causey said. “This year will be totally different from all the others, and it was fun to have a celebration to kick it off.”
August 31, 2021
On Sunday, Aug. 15, a drowsy class of 2022 gathered in the parking lot for a momentous event. The seniors, huddled up in blankets in the trunks of their cars, spent time bonding, eating, and reflecting on their time in high school together. To start off the school year, seniors participated in the Senior Sunrise, a two-year-old tradition at Wylie East and Wylie High School. One of the attendees of the event was senior Tailene Morales.
“At Senior Sunrise, the senior class met in the parking lot at 6:30 am. Maybe around 200 or less students showed up with their friends just chatting, writing their letters to their future selves, and snacking,” Morales said.
The school provided the seniors with snacks and breakfast foods during the event. In fact, there was so much food left over that the rest was donated to the teachers of class of 2022. Senior Naomi Jacobs was one of the students who were able to enjoy the nice breakfast.
“We got there super early to watch the sunrise together as we ate donuts and enjoyed each other’s company,” Jacobs said.
Stomachs full and taste buds rejoicing, seniors reminisced on their high school journey and spent time writing letters to their future selves about the past three years at East.
“I think the most important part [of Senior Sunrise] was writing our letters to our future selves. We each created a little memento of this day and we will get to open and read them again at Senior Sunset at the end of the year!” Jacobs said.
Unfortunately for seniors, the event didn’t exactly live up to its name.
“I wish we could have actually seen a pretty sunrise; it was so cloudy that day from the evening rain that the sun was completely covered,” Jacobs said.
Despite the gloomy morning, Senior Sunrise was a special way to begin the school year for many students.
“I came to this event because I appreciated the sentiment of the event,” Jacobs said. “I am so grateful for my amazing friends and I wanted to come to this event to celebrate the start of my senior year. This was also a little reminder of how far my friends and I have come since our freshman year and how we should be proud of our hard work as we spend our last year at Wylie East.”
Towards the end of the year, seniors will participate in Senior Sunset, a follow-up event in which students revisit their letters and watch the sunset together.
“I’m excited for the sunset because by then, most people know where they’re going to school, and we get to talk about everyone’s future plans,” Morales said.
After looking back on fond memories from Wylie East, seniors are now looking ahead into the future and deciding what’s next in store for them.
“I’m not sure what exactly I want to do in the future, but right now, I’m looking towards social work or music education,” Morales said.
Unlike the Sunday morning sky, the future of the Wylie East seniors is surely bright.
“After I graduate,” Jacobs said, “I hope to start my journey to becoming a doctor. I hope to continue learning and growing as I find new dreams for my future.”
