Graduation is a big part of life, and tends to be an important event in a person’s life. I asked 27 students from the Class of 2022 about their feelings of graduating this year. The idea started with my curiosity, and ended with some surprising answers that I had not expected.

Abel Moreno: Abel is excited to graduate because he gets to start an adult life completely.

Shaquila Wynn: Shaquila is excited because she gets to start her own life.

Mckenzie Parker: Mckenzie is nervous but excited to become an adult.

Tyler Bird: Tyler is excited to work more hours, especially since he loves his job.

Caelin Silvis: Caelin is excited.

Brady Steele: Brady is excited, ecstatic even to simply get out of high school.

Xavier Reyda: Xavier is ready for the future, and he is ready to make advancements.

Jake Ester: Jake is excited, yet nervous. Jake is looking forward to his future experiences, and he feels ready for college.

Abe Hoffecker: Abe is happy.

Anthony (Tony) Meade: Tony does not care for graduation, he simply finds it as a gateway into the real world.

Taylor McGowen: Taylor is nervous for the full transition into adult responsibility.

Olivia Downey: Olivia is nervous and excited. Olivia is ready for new experiences, but she’s nervous about being on her own.

Daniel Sweet: Daniel is very anxious due to adapting to a large amount of responsibility at once.

Logan Deane: Logan is eager and completely prepared for the real world.

Nathaniel Davies: Nathan is indifferent. He is not excited or scared. Nathan finds graduation basically inevitable and believes there’s no reason to get worked up over it.

Diana Piscitelli: Diana is nervous and excited for a transition to a more difficult yet impact-based reality.

Braden Higley: Braden is sad, yet glad. He has conflicted feelings about leaving the school.

Samuel Fisher: Samuel is sad, anxious, and excited. He will be leaving school friends, but he is starting life.

Brock Thompson: Brock is happy, while sad. Brock is ready to start life, but he’s sad to leave school friends.

Derrick Albers: Derrick feels indifferent, because how time feels like it flies once you are a senior, and at the age of 18.

Kyron Helmer: Kyron is indifferent, he will miss his friends, but Kyron will be going into the real world.

Taylor Fenstermaker: Taylor is excited for the future but sad to move on.

Anonymous: They are sad to leave familiarity but also excited for future possibilities.

Maleri Mather: It is what it is, basically.

Nathan Wright: Nathan is excited for new experiences.

Rosemary Molthan: Rose is excited for new life but will miss not paying for school.

Matthew Sandberg: Matthew wishes that the graduation was earlier, so he is just generally ready for graduation.