Senior Send Off

Where did all the time go? A question I often ask myself as I am writing my final article for the Talon. I truly cannot believe we are all about to graduate. It feels like just yesterday we had just walked on campus for the very first time as freshmen. 

The Class of 2023’s high school experience has been unforgettable. High school has taught me so much about myself, helped me grow as an individual, and allowed me to see my peers grow as well. With senior year feeling like our freshman year, considering we could be fully in person and without masks, I feel like it’s harder to say goodbye with everything this class has gone through. 

Regardless, this year holds so many memories for all of us, such as Holy Bowl, Homecoming, Kairos, and Upper Division Ball.

“Kairos was the highlight of my senior year because I didn’t know what to expect from it,” Carolyn Kauss (‘23) shared. “Making new friends from a random group of people I didn’t know was so memorable.”

“Homecoming was amazing just because the dance was so fun and being able to spend time with my friends made it memorable,” Drew Perry (‘23) said. 

Even the little moments like laughing with friends in class or sitting outside for lunch when the weather was nice made so many core memories for people.

“Lunch has always been so much fun to be able to sit together and talk about anything,” Milana Emmitt (‘23) said. “Especially since the weather is nice, I have loved being able to sit out in the sun and soak up our last few weeks together.”

I have loved all the major events such as Holy Bowl and Kairos, but my favorite memory was every morning since junior year sitting with my two best friends Reese Ramirez (‘23) and Jack Vicari (‘23) in my car before school just talking about whatever was on our minds. I will always remember those mornings with them as something that bonded our friendship and made the three of us inseparable. 

As these experiences become long lasting memories, we all begin to focus in on the plans for after high school as we enter in our next chapter.

“I feel pretty good about my plans after high school because I know I’ll succeed in anything I put myself up to because of how hard I work. I plan to attend a four year university in the fall,” shared Jayden Nero (‘23).

As most of us are committed to a college or are planning out what the next few years will look like, it’s scary to know that we will be on our own from here on out.

“I am feeling a mixture of emotions,” Drew says. “I am nervous and scared because it feels like a big blur of uncertainty of what the future will hold,”

One of the biggest things I have felt is the hardest to understand throughout my time at CB is how quickly the time went. Everyone tells you how high school will be over before we know it, and it’s hard to believe that when you feel like you are just at the beginning freshman year. Now with senior year ending, I cannot believe that when we all leave for summer that we will not be returning in the fall. 

“I feel very bittersweet about graduation because I’m happy that we are all graduating because we have worked hard over these four years, whether it has been in the classroom or at home,” Jayden says. “But I’m also sad that we are all leaving each other because, for some of the friends I only talk to at school I will not be able to see them again.”

Graduation day has so many events packed into one day like Baccalaureate Mass, the graduation ceremony, and Grad Night. 

“Since all three of those events happen in one day, I feel like none of us are going to have time to process what is happening until it is all over,” Carolyn shared. 

That whole day is truly going to feel like a fever dream since there is so much packed into one day. However, I am pretty nervous to walk across the stage because of what Mila said to me. 

“I just have this fear that when I am walking across the stage I am going to trip and fall in my heels.” 

It is a mixture of excitement and fear for what the next few years will hold for all of us after graduation. Yet I cannot express how grateful I am for having gone to CB and everything that came with it. 

“I am thankful that CB gave me my best friend Abby O’Malley ‘22, who I don’t know what I would do without,” Mila shared. “I am so grateful I have her in my life and would not have met her if I did not go to CB,”

“I am so thankful that CB gave me an opportunity to thrive as a human being and put me into the position to be able to go to college, because if I went to another high school, I do not think I would have gotten into half of the colleges I got into,” Jayden says.

I am so grateful for Class of 2023 counselor Mr. Kirk Purdy because if it wasn’t for him I would have never taken Talon. I remember at the end of sophomore year, he signed me up for Writing for Publication because he did not want me taking a study hall. Without him, I would not be writing my final article after two years of being in Talon. 

I will miss looking forward to G set Talon with Mara Plazibat (‘23), Elizabeth Ledesma (‘23), and Dylan Messier (‘23). It was always so fun to spend the class talking to them, laughing with them, and bothering Mr. Dave Anderson ‘07  constantly. 

Over the last four years, we have grown to love so many things about CB that will be missed once we leave. 

“I will miss the friendships I have made through sports like water polo,” Carolyn expressed. “It was just a ton of girls that played freshman year and now came back or are playing for the first time, and it was just so fun to have a team go so far as a team that was really inexperienced.”

“I will miss my friends because I won’t see them everyday like I have been for the last few years and the community here at CB,” Drew says. “The community is so amazing and I could not thank them enough for shaping me into the person I am today.”

After graduation, we will have one more summer together before leaving for college in the fall. Drew Perry will be attending Arizona State University and majoring in Sports Business, Mila Emmitt will be attending the University of Arizona and will be majoring in Pre-med, Jayden Nero will be attending the University of San Diego and majoring in Digital Media, and Carolyn Kauss is currently undecided about what college she will attend but is majoring in kinesiology. 

In the fall, I will be attending San Francisco State University and majoring in Journalism. These last few years have been so beautiful and have given me countless memories and friendships I will cherish forever. I cannot thank enough all the faculty, staff, peers and friends, and community for making me into the person I am today. Especially Mr. Brendan Hogan ‘95, Mr. Tómas Capogreco ‘86, and Mr. Anderson for being some of my biggest supporters.

CB, you will be truly missed and thank you for everything.