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Goodbye Class of 2019!

Updated: Sep 27, 2020

Graduation is quickly approaching at Minarets High School with only a few days left for the seniors to find that it isn’t the end; it’s just the beginning. Our students have worked diligently in order to wear their caps and gowns and receive their diplomas. I had the opportunity to talk about what they have learned overall for this school year of 2019.

Senior Regan Fringer said that it feels very surreal to be a senior. Her goal after high school is to not necessarily have everything planned out but to always leave an impact positively on everyone that she encounters. Regan thought that it was really awesome to see the school come and get all dressed up in Mustang pride for the ABC30 spirit rally especially at five o'clock in the morning. “I've learned how to do presentation after presentation, how you have to be self-driven in learning things and with those skills I'll carry not only through my college experience, but also my future career as a very good asset.” After Regan graduates, she plans on attending Illinois Central College in the fall where she will be majoring in agricultural communications. She will also be getting a scholarship to go there for the livestock judging team.


Senior Novena Valentine has learned that education isn't necessarily be reflected in test scores but in other ways such as presentation skills and general comprehension of things; you don't have to look smart on paper to actually be smart. “My favorite high school memory would be the senior barbecue. I watched Steven Madrid dump a whole bunch of water on Dr. Ching and I thought it was really funny.“ Some advice that Novena gave was that you should only do things that you want to do things because if you do things that other people are telling you to do, you're not going to do them as well as if you wanted to do them.


Senior Bobby Barr explains that the most important thing he learned in high school is how to work with others. He says that it isn't just about learning facts; it's about learning how to interact with people, how to get over differences in a constructive way, and how to understand people's beliefs and views. “This is my last year of doing the same thing everyday at the same place for the past four years and I'm about to move out into the real world. It's scary but I'm excited too. Push yourself everyday. It’s easier if you do all the work that you have been given at that time instead of waiting last minute and trying to get it all done.”


Senior Adam Colgin plans to become a professor in music theory in the future.“It makes me feel really old to be a senior and it makes me feel pressured about being an adult.” Since Minarets is focused on project-based learning, it really prepared him for what’s ahead.“One of my favorite memories is being nominated for Guitarist of the Year my freshman year and the only other nominee was a senior.” Some of Adam’s goals are to learn as much about theory of music as he can and to become better at web development. He hopes to inspire more musicians to practice more and to look beyond practicing in one genre of music so that they can be more versatile.


Senior Samantha Clay wants to be able to change the world for the better and wants to leave a lasting impact on everyone around her. She learned in high school to stop procrastinating, to be kind to everyone around her, and to realize how valuable life really is. “One of my favorite memories was when my junior class was coming home from Great America. We were all singing songs that we knew and screaming the lyrics so loud that no one had a voice left afterwards.” Being a senior to Samantha feels like everything she has worked so hard for is finally coming together. “Learn from your mistakes and realize that you don’t have to be doing something 'fun' to have fun, it's all about your mindset and how you perceive the situation.”


The Class of 2019 has made a huge impact on the school such as Every 15 Minutes, Southgate, Color Run, Special Olympics, Powderpuff, and more. We are going to miss you and wish you luck on your future careers.


Come to graduation on June 5th at 7:30pm to recognize all of the seniors and their hard work throughout their high school experience.


Go Big, Go Pro, Go Now and Go Seniors!



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