Bitter-Sweet Dawn of Senior Year

Sadaf Sharifi

Seniors gathered to usher in the beginning of the last year of their college journey as the sun rose over the mountains of Mount St. Mary’s University. This event centered on senior students’ community and reflection of the memories made throughout the years. 

The class of 2027 officers at the Student Government Association organized Senior Sunrise event, which gave seniors an opportunity to pause from their busy school schedule and spend time with their classmates and reflect on their upcoming graduation. 

“We hope that the seniors take this opportunity to make memories as simple as watching the sunrise with the ones they care about,” Summer Snead, SGA President remarked. 

Oluwaseyi O. Femi-Falodun serves as an SGA representative for the campus club. She saw this event as an opportunity to bring the entire class together. Although she did not organize this event, she said Senior Sunrise gave her and her friends a chance to recognize how far they had come. 

“College often moves quickly,” Femi-Falodun said. Students build connections, try to balance their classes, work and make other plans for post-graduation. For her, watching the sun rise together with her classmates was a profound opportunity to slow down and take the moment to be at the present before graduation separates them.

Femi-Falodun said this event also encouraged seniors to write letters to their future selves. These letters are supposed to be opened during the Senior Sunrise in spring semester. She hopes that this event gave everyone something meaningful to look forward to as they reflect on their progress academically and personally. 

Senior Sunrise was not only about celebrating the start of senior year but also a platform for introspection—to recognize the hard work and dedication that brought students to the point they are in now. 

Nabil Alimi said that attending this event felt like a huge thing to begin the final year at the Mount. “Watching the sunrise brought excitement about graduation and the future that is steadily approaching,” he quipped, lamenting that the attendance was sparse due to the timing.

SGA organized this event to motivate seniors and offer them a sense of belonging so that they can finish their final year strong. Snead affirmed that the seniors responded positively regarding the event, and the peaceful setting helped them connect with their classmates. 

SGA officers hope to continue to organize events to give seniors lasting opportunities to strengthen their friendships and celebrate graduation-related milestones collectively. Traditions such as Senior Pinning, Senior Sunset and Senior Send-Off create happy and lasting memories for graduating seniors.