During the foggy morning of Aug. 16, 2024 the seniors of Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) took part in the annual tradition of “Senior Sunrise”. The class of 2025 woke up before dawn to meet at the beach together as a group, celebrating their final year at Foothill Tech before their high school years came to an end.
Senior Sunrise began at 5:30 a.m. as the class of 2025 drove to the Pierpont Beach “Schoolhouse” in Ventura. As the sun rose, the students congregated onto the powdery sand.
The beginning of a new school year is often filled with different emotions, but for the seniors entering their final year arose many sentimental feelings. These traditions for seniors are meant to be a way to celebrate their remaining year together before entering a new phase in life.
Kiana Felix ‘25 said, “Being a senior is definitely weird looking back at the last four years … I think that the seniors come together … seeing each other the last few times … and just cherishing the people that we might not see ever again.”
Despite the early wake up and the foggy atmosphere, seniors were still in high spirits during the event. Some groups found each other in the dark and sat together waiting for the sunrise, while others raced down to the ocean and the rocks to be near the water.
Lila Rosenthal ‘25 said, “I think [senior sunrise] really brings all of us together by having us by the ocean … it’s a great place for people to hang out especially for our last year as seniors.”
After going through the COVID-19 experience, with their last year in middle school being disrupted, the class of 2025 was thrown headfirst into high school.
Jack Marshall ‘25 said, “I remember the first couple years of high school being a little bit chaotic for me and now it’s really slowed down and I have a great community of friends.”
As time went on, more seniors arrived and started getting to the beach, either hanging out on blankets to watch the sunrise or taking a swim in the ocean. As the sun came up, the class of 2025 started to say their goodbyes before coming back to school and finishing their first week as seniors, officially taking the polar plunge into the last year of high school.
