As the class of 2026 approaches their last few days on the Hill, the seniors began reminiscing and reflecting on their personal FSHA journeys. Seniors share how they will remember their time on the Hill, the advice they would pass on, and what they are looking forward to after they graduate.
One thing all teachers and seniors would agree upon is that seniors develop cases of senioritis. Senioritis is the lack of motivation, drive and participation lots of seniors develop in their last year of high school, especially in the second semester.
Yoyo Zheng ‘26, says,“I pushed myself to go to school because I didn’t want to have to make it up later.”
This is just one approach; others like Faye Richard ‘26 says, she deals with her senioritis by hanging out with her friends and focusing more on socializing than the school aspect. On the other hand, one senior stated, “It comes in waves…In order to keep myself accountable, I do homework during my FLEX block so that I can get the majority done at school before going home. This enables me not to procrastinate as much.” This was a common response in the surveys. Many seniors fuel their motivation based off of the hard work they have dedicated throughout the years, and the desire to end on a high note.
While these seniors are feeling their case of senioritis, many share advice they would give underclassmen to stay motivated and set themselves up for success.
Regan Sweeney ‘26 states, “Try your best to stay on top of all your work because before you know it, all the work piles up.” On the same note, another senior says, “Senior year is a marathon, try to pace yourself so you don’t burn out.” As you move through senior year, it all seems to fly by quickly yet slow in the moment, you look ahead to future events while reminiscing about the past. It can feel overwhelming.
Although she enjoys her school friends immensely, Faye recommends trying to get as much work done at school as possible so that you can explore other activities and passions outside of school. One senior passes on her advice for getting through a stressful senior year: “For friendships I would say to treasure those connections you make because soon, you’re going to see your best friends a lot less soon. For acceptances and college applications, just remember you’re going to end up exactly where you need to be, and getting rejected from your dream school may not be the worst thing.”
Although seniors are eagerly looking forward to the next chapter, they also took time to reminisce on some of their favorite memories.
Some universally favorite moments of the senior class are from FSHlympics and pep rallies through the years. Both Regan and Faye shared their memory of Ruzana Margaryan ‘26 competitively playing musical chairs and getting into the final round. Throughout the last song she strategically walked around the chair until the music stopped. However when the music stopped her opponent grabbed the chair and moved away with it. In those same moments, Ruzo hung on and started to slide across the gym.
One of the many special things about FSHA is our cherished traditions. Yoyo shares her favorite tradition: the Junior Ring ceremony.
She adds, “The ring itself is so cute but more than that the ceremony bonds the upperclassmen with this sacred ring we can wear for the rest of our lives. The ceremony is so fun with all the different ring proposals and dances along with the speeches that always make everyone get sentimental.”
Along with the sisterhood events, many favorite traditions among the class of ‘26 are the events shared with parents and guardians. One senior stated, “I really enjoy the Siena Luncheon because the speeches that are given are very memorable since my mom was my behind-the-scenes supporter throughout this entire journey, and she deserves to hear my gratitude.” The
Siena Luncheon is a mother-daughter brunch that holds a particularly special meaning for the seniors. Each senior is given the opportunity to stand up and honor their mothers by expressing gratitude for all of the support, encouragement, and sacrifices they have made throughout their high school journey. One senior stated, “I love looking back at all the memories I made at the father-daughter dances throughout the years. Since freshman year, I have looked forward to watching my dad participate in the annual senior dad dance (and our dads did not disappoint this year). Along with that, the father-daughter dance competition between each grade is always fun.”
One tradition Faye and Yoyo are looking forward to is the graduation ceremony in which they wear the gorgeous white graduation dresses and throw red roses up in the air, which has become an iconic photo moment at FSHA.
Students also fondly remember the yearly class retreats. Starting off from freshman year, our class spent the day in the boarding hall, focusing on the start of our journey on the Hill, getting to know our new classmates better, and starting to branch out.
Sophomore year was the first over-nighter in Malibu. This was a pivotal retreat for our class as this was the first time we had a two-day retreat. This retreat focused on friendships and growing closer, allowing all of us to open up to each other a little bit more.
Junior retreat was the overall favorite class retreat. For junior retreat, students spent a week in Catalina Island. This retreat is the first one where the class as a whole truly starts to come together. One senior noted, “Starting off junior year with this retreat made us come together for the hard junior year ahead. It allowed us to all grow closer with our friend groups and take our friendships to the next level.”
Constant activities pushed people out of their comfort zones, and the support of the community around made everything fun and exciting. Plus, the scenery is so beautiful. The late night talks in the cabins and reflections really made friendships reach another level.
Lastly, in senior year, we go to Kairos. This is the penultimate retreat everyone looks forward to attending during their four years of high school. This retreat was the most emotional one for our class of 2026. For me, it opened my eyes to how special and grateful I am for this class. The talks, activities, and free time allowed us to come together to reminisce about our
time on the Hill. Retreats have been a big part of the FSHA experience. They push us to open up to each other and allow ourselves to be vulnerable.
All in all, the Hill will forever be a special place in the hearts of the seniors. Countless memories and inside jokes have led to the experiences and journeys that seniors can call their own. I, for one, will hold onto the lessons we have learned here and will take them with me. Our FSHA rings remind us all of the larger community that supported us, and will continue to support us, as we head into the many new chapters of our lives.